The Cat's Meow
by Padfoot3456
Summary: Harry's been cursed by a necklace that has turned him into a cat, landing him in Magical Menagerie.Draco has purchased a strange black cat with haunting emerald eyes. Can they come together in this way, despite their past? Drarry. Rated for later chapters
1. Captured

Harry wasn't entirely sure how he got into this mess. All he knew was that once more, departing the Weasley's house to Diagon Alley, he'd managed to land himself in the grate of Borgin and Burkes. He coughed, dusting himself off and taking a look around, hoping that no one was at the counter. Thankfully, there wasn't anyone. The shop was dark and musty. Harry planned on leaving immediately, but something on the shop counter caught his eye.

Harry got up, dusting his muggle outfit off, and walked over to it. It wouldn't hurt just to have a peek, would it? But he wouldn't touch it. No, no, he didn't dare touch it. What if it was cursed? So he leant over the table while he adjusted his glasses. The item was a beautiful woman's necklace made of purple jewels. The jewels were set in a silver chain that was thick and, when Harry looked closely, encrusted with tiny diamonds. There was a single pendant on it that was the same purple as the other amethysts in the shape of a teardrop.

Suddenly, as Harry was pushing his glasses on his face, his fingers fumbled and his glasses fell right on top of it. For a moment, he forgot himself and reached for it without thinking about the necklace. His pinky finger brushed it as he picked up his glasses, setting them firmly on his face. He had nearly turned around and left before he had the overwhelming urge to put the necklace on.

He knew it was very, very bad when he couldn't control his hands, reaching for the necklace. Harry panicked, looking around and praying that there actually was someone around, so long as they could help him stop reaching for this!

But it was too late. His fingers closed around the clasp, opening it. His heart pounded as he watched the necklace come closer before it finally rested around his neck, on top of his hoodie. For a second, nothing happened, and Harry sighed with relief. Talk about counting your chickens before they hatch. The shift came quickly and painlessly. Harry was extremely confused as to how he was suddenly so close to the ground. It took him a moment to figure out how to move again.

After that, it was only a matter of checking himself all over to determine that he wasn't laying on the floor. Nor was he crouching or anything. No. He was standing. And he had paws. And a tail. He looked down at his flank and realized with a start that he was standing as a black cat rather than a human. He almost panicked again, before he felt himself hit with a spell. Borgin had come out from the back room while Harry was having his crisis, and noticed his unwelcome visitor. Harry was chased out of Borgin and Burkes with various stupefy spells that he was busy dodging and a few Incendio spells that singed his tail. Thankfully he was getting used to four paws really fast.

Harry ran away from Borgin's yelling, ears flat to his head as he hauled ass back to Diagon Alley. He had to find Ron and Hermione, somehow tell them what had happened, and have them get him back to normal. He had just got back into Diagon Alley as something black whipped past him, roughly his size. Harry was effectively distracted now that he felt safe again, and turned to look. A black tail disappeared around a corner, and Harry was easily able to identify it as a cat's.

"Oh there you are!" Harry's head whipped around. Hands were reaching for him, and he tried to get away, but it was no use. He was scooped up into the arms of a somewhat plump witch. He struggled for a moment before realizing that it would be pointless, as her grip was firm, and no amount of scratching and biting was going to change that. So instead he meowed piteously. "I've chased you half way down Diagon Alley, you naughty cat, you! Now let's get you back into the shop."

Harry sighed, which made the witch laugh, and he rested his head on her shoulder and watched as he was carried all the way back to Magical Menagerie. The witch just shut the door behind her and plunked him down on the front counter. It didn't take long for Harry to figure out that he had the run of the place. But the look she shot him as he stretched told him that if he attempted to escape 'again', there would be severe consequences, and he wouldn't like them. So Harry took his time looking around, hissing a warning at the little black rats playing hopscotch in the cage near the counter.

He ended up leaping from the counter to a very high shelf, laying down where he could see the door to the shop and the counter, and into the back room as well if he angled his head right. His black fur hid him well in the shadows, emerald eyes glittering.

When he shifted to lay down, putting his head on his paws, Harry noticed that the necklace was still around his neck, though it was much smaller and fit quite a bit more snugly. He decided that since it didn't pinch, and was mostly covered by his fur, that he didn't really mind. No matter how he tried to get it off, though, scratching at it, biting at it, tugging at it, it refused to come off.

Harry resigned himself to his fate, huffing and putting his head back down. How was he going to get himself out of here? The best thing that he could do, he decided, was bide his time and pray he wasn't purchased mistakenly. Obviously this witch thought he was that cat that had run by him earlier.

Harry had just gotten comfortable and closed his eyes, deciding that all things considered, it really wasn't too bad being a cat, when the door opened and the shop bell rang. He opened one eye lazily. There, standing awkwardly by the door, was Draco Malfoy. Narcissa was beside him, smiling encouragingly. Harry looked to the counter, noticing that the witch who had captured him earlier had disappeared into the back room.

Why was Draco here? Didn't he have an eagle owl? Why would he need another pet? Harry puzzled over this while Draco inspected the cages around the room, wriggling his fingers in the cage of the black rats that Harry decided that he definitely didn't like. Narcissa only watched from the middle of the shop floor. Both resumed a holier-than-thou air as soon as the shopkeeper reentered the room. All of a sudden, as the shopkeeper turned on a light on the counter as she greeted Narcissa and Draco, Narcissa's eyes came to rest upon Harry.

"Draco, look." She pointed, getting Draco's attention. She was pointing at Harry.

Thankfully, cats lack the ability to appear surprised effectively enough that those who have not been around a cat before cannot recognize it. Draco came close to the shelf, raising a hand to attempt to beckon Harry down from there, assumingly so that he could get a better look.

"Oh, I wouldn't bother with him." The witch behind the counter laughed nervously, drawing even Harry's attention.

"Why not?" Narcissa asked, as if daring the woman to tell her.

Draco had not looked at the woman, but it was obvious that he was listening. Harry paid him no attention, instead listening to the shopkeeper. If he was going to be a cat for right now, he might as well act like the one she had lost.

"Dante isn't very social. He's been here for about three or four years. Nobody really wants him, poor thing. He ends up scratching every customer that reaches for him." Come to think of it, she was eyeing Draco's extended hand warily, her eyes warning Harry not to harm him.

Harry got up, stretching and yawning, revealing sharp white teeth. As Narcissa chatted with the shop keeper, Draco assessed him. Harry sat, staring back into Draco's silver eyes, which narrowed. The tip of Harry's tail twitched constantly, flicking back and forth as he tried to decide what to do. Draco had withdrawn his hand, which made Harry crouch at the edge of the shelf, still watching him. Just as the boy turned away, Harry jumped. His landing was less than expert, but thankfully Draco caught him just before he toppled off of the Slytherin's shoulder.

Harry sat calmly on Draco's shoulder, proud of himself for not missing completely. Even if he had fumbled a bit. If Draco could get him out of here, then Harry could at least take off before they got very far and then resume his search for Hermione and Ron. Draco was his ticket out.

Malfoy, on the other hand, was pretending as though that hadn't happened, instead continuing to roam the shop with Dante's heavy weight on his shoulder. Dante wasn't paying attention to him, instead looking around the shop as if this perspective wasn't one he had experienced before. The shopkeeper had gone silent, possibly at the out-of-character act that the cat had just committed. The cat's presence, he found, was actually rather comforting, despite its ignoring him.

Finally, after a few more minutes, he turned to the witch behind the counter.

"How much for the cat?" He asked, gesturing at Dante.

"Twelve galleons and thirteen sickles." She stammered, stunned.

Narcissa paid, took Draco's shoulder, and as soon as Draco had managed to get a hold on the cat (the thing didn't want to get off of his shoulder, and put up somewhat of a fight. Thankfully, in the end, he was able to wrap his arms securely around the animal.), they Apparated back to Malfoy Manor. The rest of their purchases would, of course, be shipped to them separately.

Lucius appeared before them suddenly, obviously having Apparated as well. He sneered at Draco's new pet, eyes narrowing in disapproval.

"You couldn't get something more useful to replace that dreadful owl?" He growled. Draco stood his ground, Dante stilling in his arms.

"It was more like the cat chose me rather than me choosing it." He muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Lucius asked dangerously, obviously not liking any sort of back talk.

"Nothing, Father." Draco said out loud.

"Better not have been. You've disappointed me too much lately. See to it that you do not again. And try and transfigure that collar into something less womanly, for Merlin's sake." And with that, Lucius stalked off, Narcissa following at a distance. Draco finally let Dante go, the cat clawing its way back up his robes and onto its perch on his shoulder. With that, Draco made his way up to his room, closing the door softly behind him.

Harry jumped down from Draco's shoulder, his stomach churning. This had not gone as planned. Not only were cats not supposed to Apparate, as proven by the sick feeling he was getting, but he was trapped in Malfoy Manor. He was trapped with Draco. Speaking of the youngest Malfoy, Draco had collapsed onto his bed, face down in the pillow. Harry was quite content not to go near him at all, instead curling up on the window seat on the far side of the room and watching the boy while basking himself in the sunlight.

He had to get out of here. He had to come up with a plan. Because what was going to happen if the Order found out that he was trapped like this? It wouldn't take long for the entire Wizarding world to know that Harry Potter was missing.

Shit.

* * *

><p>Hopefully y'all will like this new story. XD I apologize if I end up late on a few updates, but let it be known that I am determined to finish this. Even if I have a crappy muse.<p>

Anyways, if any of you have ideas for what might happen in later chapters, I would love to hear them! X3 I'm entirely open to suggestions.


	2. Closer

A week slowly passed. Malfoy Manor was large and not surprisingly spacious. Everything was either a family heirloom or extremely expensive. Harry tried to break as much of it as he could, while making it seem like an accident of clumsiness. So far it was two china plates and an old Chinese vase. He was feeling quite proud of himself, actually.

There were times, however, where he was locked in Malfoy's room for long periods of time. Draco's room wasn't the most terrible place to be locked in, actually. It was large, with a big bed, a large wardrobe, and a window seat. It even had an adjoining bathroom. When he was locked here, Harry usually liked to lounge on the extremely comfortable bed, or curl up on the window seat and sleep. He loved sleeping even more now, mostly because while he slept in the day time, he didn't have to put up with anyone's crap, and when he was awake at night, he still didn't have to put up with anyone's crap.

Except for the house elves. They didn't like him very much.

Draco proved to be a kind master, much to Harry's shock. He never bothered Harry when he was in a tail-lashing, I'm-going-to-tear-everything-up mood, getting the house elves to repair whatever he destroyed with his claws. When the Slytherin read in bed just before going to sleep, he welcomed Harry to share the bed with him rather than pushing him off.

It wasn't like Harry _wanted_ to share Draco's bed, but it was comfortable, and it wasn't like Draco knew who he was, so what was the problem? It became a ritual, where Draco would get ready for bed, shut off every light in his room except for the one on his bedside table, and crawl underneath the comforter with whatever book he was reading now. The lamp cast an orange glow around the room, softly lighting the bed and creating deep shadows in the corners. Harry would jump down from the window seat, tired of looking at the blackness outside, and jump onto the bed.

Draco would ignore him, propped up on pillows and book already open. Harry would slowly inch closer, hesitant, before curling up next to Draco's ribs in a ball with his back pressed firmly against the warmth. Draco's eyes wouldn't leave his book as he reached down to settle one hand on Harry's head, scratching behind his ears sometimes and sometimes just lying there, a comforting weight that Harry found himself welcoming.

Naturally, things hadn't started out that way, but Harry was coming to like it. He'd kind of decided to be a cat for a while, if only to not have the responsibility of saving the world from Voldemort. Draco fed him tuna and milk, and sometimes Harry couldn't even identify the things he was ingesting, save for the fact that they tasted good. Harry took to riding around on Draco's shoulder, memorizing the Manor for later night-time excursions.

At night, Harry stalked around the Manor, enjoying exploring. He could go anywhere he liked, but he'd learned not to enter Lucius' study under any circumstances. It wasn't that he wasn't allowed, it was just that Lucius liked to paralyze him whenever he went in, taking amusement in this. Whenever he went outside, he liked to terrorize the white Peacocks that wandered the grounds, chasing them around and delighting in their panic.

Attempts had been made to transfigure the necklace, Lucius and Narcissa being the ones to try, seeing as Draco couldn't do magic outside of school and Lucius didn't want the Ministry at Malfoy Manor. Nothing had worked. Draco wasn't complaining. He often confided in Harry, telling him things Harry was sure he wouldn't say were any other humans in the room.

It was a Saturday, exactly one and a half weeks after Harry had arrived at Malfoy Manor. He and Draco were in the library, a jar of peanut butter in Draco's lap and a book in Draco's hand. Draco had learned very quickly that Harry loved peanut butter. Harry sat beside Draco, purring happily as the Slytherin dipped two fingers into the jar and offered it to him.

Harry began to lick the peanut butter off, pausing every once in a while to smack his lips and make sure that all traces of the treat were gone before lapping at the glob once more. Draco began to talk while Harry was eating.

"Father wants me to become a Death Eater." He started quietly. Harry tried not to pause and act like a normal cat while he gathered information on this. "I don't want to be one. But if I refuse, I don't want anyone to get hurt because of it. I don't know what to do anymore. Mum won't refuse him, so what can I do?"

Draco fell silent after that tidbit, leaving Harry reeling. Draco was not at all the person Harry had thought he was. That not only confused but scared him, catching him off guard.

That wasn't the only time Draco confided in the cat he knew as 'Dante', but all other instances were insignificant.

Harry finished his peanut butter in silence, happily lapping at Draco's fingers even after all trace of the peanut butter was gone. Draco pet his head, and Harry decided to act on impulse. He stood, putting a paw on Draco's chest. When the blonde didn't react, Harry stepped fully onto Draco's chest.

"Dante, what're you…? I'm trying to read, y'know." Draco grunted, raising an eyebrow.

Harry merely lay down on Draco's chest, turning on his side and purring loudly. Draco needed some sort of reassurance, and it wasn't like he was going to get it from his parents. What Harry saw was not the snarky Slytherin who threw insults like party favors. He saw a little boy who was lost and alone. And they were kind of friends now, even if Draco didn't know he was Harry.

That night, they fell asleep like usual. But when Harry woke up, Draco was not there. Harry stretched, arching his back up towards the ceiling and stretching his toes out, extending his claws with a wide yawn. Relaxing, he meandered off to find Draco. It must have been noon time. At least, if the sun had anything to say about it. Harry had slept longer than usual.

Yelling met his ears, and Harry sped up. He trotted into Lucius' study, ducking to avoid any spells that may come his way. But there were none. Harry froze. Lucius was standing over Draco, who was on the floor gasping for breath, holding a gash on his ribs, his pale arms peppered with bruises. Harry didn't know what to do. Lucius was saying something, but Harry didn't listen. Draco… Draco was hurt. Draco was crying.

"Get out of my sight, you waste of oxygen." Lucius hissed, venom dripping from his voice.

Draco got up and ran from the room, right past Harry. Harry ran after him, sprinting as fast as he could go. He barely got into the Slytherin's room before he closed the door. Draco disappeared into the bathroom for hours. Harry would have thought that Draco was going to drown himself until he heard the shower go on. At least a person couldn't drown themselves in a shower. So he settled down to wait.

Draco came out of the bathroom feeling a little bit more composed. It wasn't the first time his father had beat him, and he doubted it would be the last. He sniffed, drying himself off and crawling into bed, ignoring what time it was and the fact that he wasn't wearing anything. Dante jumped up on the bed beside him, meowing and rubbing up against him. Draco took it as the usually anti-social cat trying to comfort him, and snuggled into the cat's fur. He didn't say anything. He couldn't.

oooOOOooo

The day came that it was time to get on the Hogwarts Express. Draco's trunk was packed, Dante was in his cat carrier (Albiet to the cat's disdain) and he was sitting in the Prefect's compartment on the train. Dante glared down at him from the luggage rack, hissing occationally and lashing his tail against the wicker. Draco crossed his arms over his chest, ignoring it. Harry Potter was missing. That posed a problem for Draco.

And not only because of who his parents were. With his rival gone, Draco would fade into the background of Hogwarts school. Not only that, but… Draco might maybe have had a bit of a crush on him. At some point, hate had become obsession, and obsession had turned to affection. He was worried. He could only pray that the Dark Lord had not gotten to Harry and killed him already. Then again, the papers would have had that, too. Voldemort would want everyone to know that their Chosen One was dead.

The Granger girl and the Weasel entered the compartment, taking seats as far as they could manage from Draco, who was sitting by the window. Pansy was apparently in the other Prefect compartment, then. And Draco was stuck with these two. Great. He decided to ignore them instead of starting something. He just wasn't in the mood.

Thankfully, they didn't say anything to him, either. About halfway into the trip, since Draco was already in his robe, he took Dante down instead. The cat seemed to have calmed down a bit and was staring at the Mudblood and the Weasel. Draco pulled him out of his cage, pulling cat treats out of his pocket at the same time to keep the cat's attention.

Dante clawed his way onto Draco's shoulder, as per usual, settling there and daintily eating the treats that Draco gave him while never taking his eyes off of the two. Draco wondered briefly if there was something wrong with him, but quickly decided that there was not.

"Where'd you get the cat, Malfoy? Didn't you have an owl?" The Weasel snarled, glaring accusingly at Dante, who rested his head on top of Draco's.

"He died." Draco grunted. "Look, Weasel, I'm really not in the mood to start bickering with someone of less wit than I, so do kindly shut up."

The Weasel's ears went red with his fury. The cat in Granger's lap, a big orange beast, was staring at Dante. Dante stared back. The cat meowed, and Dante meowed back, as if he wasn't sure if he could. Draco pet Dante's head, scratching his ears and causing a purr to rumble up from the cat's throat. Nothing was said for most of the trip, until Granger finally spoke up.

"What's around his neck?" Draco blushed slightly, turning away.

"It's a necklace." He muttered. "He came with it."

"So you've got a pouf cat?" Weasel snickered. "That's hilarious!"

Scowling, Draco took out his wand and tapped Dante's necklace. It suddenly transfigured into an orobouros, an Amethyst in the snake's eye and it's scales encrusted with diamonds. It seemed to ripple whenever Dante shifted around, catching the light in the compartment. Naturally, Draco was surprised, as his parents attempts had failed. But he didn't let it show, because Malfoys were never surprised.

"Not at all. I just wasn't allowed to transfigure it until I got on the train. And you would know that, Weasel, if your family weren't uneducated cavemen." Draco sneered, glaring at the Weasel. The mudblood looked like she was going to throw a fit.

The Weasel got up, nearly frothing at the mouth. He drew his fist back, and Draco was expecting a punch to the face. But Dante stood, running up the Weasel's arm faster than any of the three could process. Dante scratched his face before jumping onto the seat, from there to the floor, and back into Draco's lap before leaping nimbly to Draco's shoulder. Blood welled from the cut on the Griffindor's face, and he seemed stunned for a moment, looking like a slack-jawed idiot. Which, in Draco's opinion, he was.

In the end, they all settled down for a nice long ignore each other session, though the Mudblood and the Weasel talked in hushed voices. Draco pet Dante affectionately. The cat had protected him fiercely, and Draco felt cared for for the first time in a very, very long time. Dante crawled from his shoulder to his lap, tucking his front paws up underneath his chest as he lay there, back to the rest of the compartment. Draco bent down as he scratched the top of Dante's head, whispering in a dainty black ear.

"Thanks."

* * *

><p>Hope this chapter wasn't too short for y'all. I got such positive responses (i.e, a lot of favorites X3) that I just had to upload another chapter tonight. Like I said before, still open for suggestions or ideas! And thank you all so much for reading and liking this enough to favorite it! X3 I ran around screaming my head off with happiness, no joke. Happy Independence Day!<p> 


	3. Conundrum, the Beginning

Harry was not pleased. Not pleased in the least. It was raining when they got off the train, and Harry was forced to wait by the rest of the luggage and animals while Draco ran off to get a carriage. Not only that, but he'd scratched his best friend. He thought about what had happened while he tried to move away from the drips that fell from the ceiling of the cat carrier.

He hadn't really meant to hurt Ron. It was just that when he'd seen Ron's fist pull back, all he could think about was Lucius standing over Malfoy with malice in his voice. Harry had the overwhelming urge to protect Draco as best he could. It was strange, and only a little bit unwelcome, but Harry knew he couldn't do anything about it. He decided that Hermione would have called it part of his 'saving people thing'. Disgruntled though he was, Harry was inclined to agree.

Draco came back for him as soon as his place on a carriage was assured, as many of the students did, and loaded him up with Pansy Parkinson's cat, Blaise Zabini's owl, Goyle's owl, Crabbe's owl, and five trunks. It was not a pleasant ride.

But they did make it to the castle in one piece and relatively dry, thankfully. Once all luggage and pets were assembled just inside the front doors of the school and all students were in the Great Hall, the house elves came to get the student's belongings and put them in the respective rooms. Harry was treated to an interesting sight. One house elf took command of the whole lot, assigning three or four to gather all the owls and put them in the owlry before putting the cages in the respective dorms. The same elf assigned four groups of about eight elves to take care of the trunks for each house. Last but not least, when all trunks and owls had been cleared out, several other elves came to take the remaining cats, toads, and rats to their master's dorms.

Harry was once more treated to the extremely unpleasant sensation of Side-Along Aparation, but this time at the hands of a house elf who was balancing a cage under each arm and a cage in each hand. They dropped off Pansy's cat, another person's rat, a snake, and finally Harry. The house elf put his cage on what he assumed was Draco's bed, opening the wicker door for him to climb out as he pleased before disappearing with a loud crack.

Harry, however, was still extremely queasy and needed several moments to compose himself before he dared move. Once he had decided that the room had stopped moving enough, he slowly slunk out onto the bed spread. He felt a moment of sadness- this would be another year where he missed the Sorting Hat's song. Hell, he'd be missing the feast altogether.

He sighed, looking around with drooping whiskers.

And then he noticed something.

What was obviously a red sock poking out of Goyle's trunk was actually a shade of grey. The posts on the bed, which Harry knew to be a rich brown, were actually purple. It took him a moment to figure out that duh- he was a cat. Cats were more likely to see differently than humans. It was strange how long it had taken for him to notice this.

Once he had noticed it, however, he made the observation that cats were able to see colors like blue, green, purple, and yellow; But red, orange, and brown colors obviously fell short of his visual color spectrum. These appeared either grey or purple, though the shades varied greatly. As a cat, Harry could see shades of grey more clearly, and there were more shades than when he was human. Colors themselves seemed to lack saturation, and were less vibrant than he remembered.

Harry found himself thanking Merlin that at least he was in the Slytherin dorms, where everything was either green or grey anyways.

Harry jumped down from the bed, going to the door and testing it with a paw to see if it would open. It didn't budge. He pushed harder. Still nothing. He sighed. Obviously, that was fruitless, and he was going to get nowhere with that. He was going to have to wait until someone returned to open the door for him.

He growled lowly to himself before returning to Draco's bed, curling next to the pillow and fixing his eyes on the door.

oooOOOooo

Draco returned from the feast, laughing with Blaise and Pansy, Goyle and Crabbe following at a distance. The Gryffindors had been noticeably subdued at the loss of Potter, not cheering nearly as loud as Draco knew they could during the Sorting. He'd just finished directing the new first years, all who followed his directions unquestioningly. Yes, they were all true Slytherins. It wasn't because they were afraid of him. They trusted him.

See, Slytherins were hardly what the other houses made them out to be. Nobody seemed to remember that Gryffindors started most fights, nor that Slytherins tended to hold a grudge when one of their mates was beaten up three to one not in their favor. Nobody seemed to recall that Ravenclaws were to blame for more snide comments than Slytherin could ever hope to come up with. Hufflepuff was fair game, though- everybody knew that. Still, even they could pack a punch if they needed to. Their house animal was a badger for a reason.

Slytherins were the outcasts, those whose parents demanded things of them that only about a third would ever comply with. Like becoming a Death Eater, for one thing. This made them all come together as a group. They helped each other when they could, and were pretty lax inside their common room. But Merlin forbid if any of the other houses learned how friendly Slytherins actually were- they had an image to uphold, after all.

When he opened the door to the boy's dorms, Draco noticed Dante curled asleep next to his pillow. That's exactly where Draco wanted to be. He took no time in getting dressed for bed, still joking with Blaise, Goyle, and Crabbe.

"Hey, Draco, didn't know you got a cat!" Blaise exclaimed.

"His name's Dante." Draco informed, not taking the comment as if it were a barb, like he had when the Weasel had directed the same statement at him.

"Ahh- like Dante as in, _Dante's Inferno_?" Crabbe asked.

"…_Dante's Inferno_?" Blaise echoed, eyebrow raised. Draco merely looked amused, and Goyle looked rather confused.

"It's a muggle book." Draco informed, sitting down on his bed and tucking his feet up next to him. "It's about this loon who has a vision of the nine rings of hell." He gestured in the air with his hand as he spoke, rolling his eyes. "It was made in the fourteenth century or something- scared the shit out of all the Catholics. Idiots thought it was real. Anyway, the guy's name was Dante."

"And you know this how…?" Blaise sat down on his own bed, the one nearest Draco's, and propped himself up against the headboard so that he could see everyone at once.

"Decided to brush up on my Muggle Studies to piss Father off. Well, when he finally finds out about it." That got a snicker from everyone. Draco smirked, satisfied. "What I want to know is how Crabbe knew that." He turned a questioning eye to his friend (Yes, don't die from shock now. Malfoy had friends, not that he'd ever let the Golden trio know that he counted Crabbe and Goyle as friends.).

Dante got up, stretching and arching his back in that way he had before languidly walking a few short steps to where Draco was sitting, purring and butting his head under Draco's chin, demanding attention. Draco lay on his side, elbow propping him up and head resting on his hand, while with his other hand he gave in to Dante's insistence and scratched the cat behind the ears.

"Well, my mum had it on her bookshelf. It looked kinda interesting, and I was _bored_." Crabbe whined, trying to get them to leave off teasing him. "I didn't even finish it."

"That clears that up, I suppose." Blaise rolled his eyes at Goyle's words, crawling under the covers. It got cold in the dorms, considering they were under the Black Lake. One tended to forget exactly how far underground they were, even if you did spend most of your time there.

"Hardly. None of us knew you could read, Crabbe." Blaise teased, earning a snicker from Draco and Goyle as Crabbe flushed and threw a pillow at him.

This ensued a pillow fight between the two, Goyle joining in at some point. Draco just reached for his wand and cast a shielding charm. Because if one of those pillows exploded feathers everywhere, he didn't want any on _his_ bed. Merlin forbid. Those three could deal with the repercussions of their own actions, even if after they came back after the first day of lessons to find everything cleaned and the pillows repaired.

When things had finally settled down and they were all ready to go to sleep, there came a knock at the door. Dante stopped playing with a few feathers that had scattered on the floor to stare at the place the sound came from. (For indeed, Goyle's pillow had been the one to break.) The boys had been taking turns levitating feathers for the cat to chase around the room, but now all wands were lowered. Goyle, being the closest to the door, answered it.

Pansy flounced in, causing Dante to scramble out of her way and under Blaise's bed in order to prevent himself from being run over. The Slytherin girl's arms curled around Draco's neck before he had time to register that she was even in the room.

"Pansy, what are you doing here?" He choked out, finding it difficult to breathe when she was all over him like that.

"I just wanted to wish you goodnight, Draco!" She cooed, backing off a little bit. Her smile had not dimmed.

"Uh, that's great Pansy. Good night to you, too?" She obviously didn't catch how hesitant Draco was about that, as her smile only got wider and she seemed to bounce in place with happiness.

"Oh, thank you! Well, I'm off to bed! Long day tomorrow!" She said in a sing-song voice before going right back out of the room. Goyle closed the door behind her, obviously not knowing what to say.

Draco stared after Pansy, shaking his head at her girlishness. When would that woman ever learn that he didn't like her the way she made it seem she liked him? It wasn't that Pansy wasn't nice- she could actually be sort of kind if the situation called for it, but Draco was sure that he'd never see her in that light. She was more of a friend or a sister to him than a girlfriend.

Blaise began snickering, which made Draco glare at him. Dante came out from under Blaise's bed hesitantly, as if he wasn't sure if Pansy was gone. Once he had made himself certain of her departure, Dante leapt upon Draco's bed and resumed his place by the pillow, laying down heavily and unceremoniously. At this point, Blaise had broken out into full-out laughter, while the other three boys stared at him in confusion.

It took a few minutes, but Blaise finally calmed down, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes.

"What's so funny, Zabini?" Draco growled, disgruntled and embarrassed.

"I was just picturing the look on her face-" Blaise broke off to chuckle here. "-When you tell her you're gay." He snickered.

* * *

><p>Thank you all so so much for all the faves and story alerts- that really means a lot to me.<p>

As I've said before, still open to suggestion and all that. 8D I really hope you've enjoyed reading this so far, and will continue to do so as we go on. :3


	4. Conundrum, the Middle

Draco was… Draco was gay? Harry watched his sleeping face, illuminated by a slash of moonlight. The dorm had long since been quiet and dark. Draco didn't seem like he was, but Harry had never paid that much attention to who Draco was interested in. Beyond the fact that Pansy enjoyed his company, Harry hadn't noticed much. He looked back through his memories of the years, shifting his paws to fit more comfortably under his chest.

Draco had never taken an active interest in any girls. At least, not that Harry knew. Malfoy's conquests would have been the talk of the school, if only for a little bit. Of that Harry was sure. But on the other hand, he'd never taken an active interest in males, either. Though, he really couldn't be sure of that, either.

How had he missed it? How had he been so blind?

Draco rolled over in sleep, disturbing Harry's thoughts. Harry was faced with the back of his head. He shifted again, putting his head on Draco's pillow and staring out the charmed window beside the bed. Alright. He could deal with this. It wasn't like he had anything against gay people- in fact, he was pretty sure that Draco was the first gay person he'd met.

Okay, so that didn't really speak much in Draco's favor. But it wasn't like they'd ever permanently harmed each other. And Draco was obviously different around Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Draco's own parents than he was with his housemates. Harry was inclined to say that the Draco people saw out of the public eye was the real Draco. Or, at least, closer to the real Draco.

Harry huffed, blinking slowly before he returned his gaze back to Draco. There were certainly things he'd learned being around Draco as a cat for a few weeks than he had ever known by being enemies as a human.

Harry turned onto his side, licking his flank clean before putting his head back on the pillow. He fell asleep staring at the moon, his head swimming with thoughts of Draco, the Order, his life, and the necklace that now hung peacefully around his neck. Just as he'd drifted off, the snake's amethyst eye seemed to glow a little bit brighter in the milky light of the moon.

oooOOOooo

When Draco awoke, it was to Goyle's nervous nudging.

"C'mon, man, get up! We're gonna be late!" He urged.

Draco groaned, rolling over and scrubbing his eyes with a hand. He sat up, taking a moment to stretch before he got up sluggishly and began to get ready, putting on his uniform and slicking back his hair and brushing his teeth in the bathroom adjoining the dorm. When he came back out, ready to go to breakfast, a meow alerted him a moment before a big black mass came flying from the top of one of the cabinets to land on his shoulders. The sudden impact almost brought Draco to his knees. As it was, he stumbled and had to catch himself on one of the posts of his bed.

Turning to look, he saw Dante resting on his left shoulder looking extremely pleased with himself.

"Yeah, yeah, get your jollies." Draco grunted. "You have to let go, Dante. I've got class." Draco tried to shove the cat off, but the animal only dug it's claws into the shoulder of his robes and hung on.

"Hey, did Dante get bigger overnight?" Blaise asked, opening the door to the common room.

"I don't know." Draco sighed, giving up on getting Dante off of him and instead grabbing his bag and trooping out after his friends.

The Great Hall was quickly filling with students, but thankfully they managed to find seats next to one another. Draco sat next to Crabbe, and Goyle and Blaise sat on the other side of the table. Dante had earned him stares as he entered, but in true Malfoy fashion held his nose high and stalked past them all, self-satisfied smirk on his face as he passed, pleased about the attention.

When they sat down, Dante moved from Draco's shoulder to the already-crowded table top, sniffing around the eggs and taking a bite out of the spoonful that Draco helped himself to. Draco scowled, but he was too tired to push the cat away. He did have the sense to pour the cat a goblet of milk before he took one for himself so that it wouldn't have the urge to take more off of his plate.

The usual morning banter began, and if Dante slid underneath the table as Snape handed out schedules, Draco didn't say anything to suggest that he'd noticed.

Soon enough, Draco was done eating and headed off to his first class- Potions with the Ravenclaws. Dante didn't leap onto his shoulder, but instead trotted behind him, surprisingly sticking close. Draco would have thought that any cat with the run of Hogwarts would go running off at a moment's notice to explore. Then he remembered- Dante was clearly not a normal cat. Normal cats didn't ride around on their owner's shoulders. Normal cats didn't follow their owners like dogs, or come when called every single time.

But Draco wasn't complaining. It was useful when Draco couldn't find the cat but knew he was around somewhere. Like when he was trying to get Dante into his carrier before term started.

He trooped back down to the dungeons, Blaise walking with him, though nothing was said. They didn't have to wait long for Snape to sweep past them and enter the room. They followed him, trickling in with a few Ravenclaws and one or two other Slytherins. When Draco chose a seat, Dante slipped underneath his chair, curling his tail around his paws to avoid it being stepped on. Draco had to remind himself several times throughout the class not to hook his ankles around his chair legs, as he could kick or step on the animal laying there.

This was pretty much how the entire day went- Dante followed Draco around everywhere, eating off of his plate at lunch and running down after him to Herbology. This was, quite possibly, the most dangerous class for the cat.

They were only twenty minutes into class (Professor Sprout was still going on through her start-of-term speech) when a loud yowl broke the students out of their sleepy reverie. Draco spun around, trying to peer over the shelves filled with various flora to see the source of the sound. Professor Sprout waddled in that direction quickly, and Draco scrambled after. He'd just remembered that Dante was supposed to be with him. And they were in the greenhouse with Tentaculas in it.

Sure enough, it was as Draco feared. As they came to the very last counter, they found Dante writhing and fighting with a Tentacula vine. Rather, several Tentacula vines. He looked like he was in pain, favoring his right front leg and hissing whenever the vines flicked at it. Draco was the first to react. He was fairly certain that Professor Sprout was more concerned with her plant than the cat. So Draco rushed forward, Grabbing Dante around the middle with one arm, tugging him gently free of the plant's constricting vines.

Of course, it helped that he used his wand to cast Incendio at the plant's roots. As soon as Draco was satisfied that he was far enough away from the plant, he cradled the cat closer to his chest. Dante meowed piteously, huddling closer to Draco. The blonde gently pressed on his right leg to try and find the source of the cat's pain. If Dante was meowing before, he screeched once Draco brushed the paw he had tucked up close to his body.

"Alright, alright, shhhh, it's okay. I won't touch it again, I promise." Draco whispered in the cat's ear.

"Mister Malfoy! Is that your cat?" Professor Sprout asked, obviously not impressed.

"Yes, Professor." Draco confirmed haughtily, straightening himself up a little bit to look more dignified while holding the cat's rear with one hand and holding it's torso to his own with the other.

"What possessed you to bring it inside the greenhouses?" She looked like she didn't really want an answer. "Bring it to Madam Pomfrey, see what she can do for it."

Draco didn't acknowledge what she'd said, and bypassed his things on his way back up to the school. For once, Dante's constantly-moving tail was limp, and Dante meowed every once in a while and kept trying to lick his leg. Draco wouldn't let him, shifting his hand and holding the cat's neck in place so that he couldn't jostle the already hurt limb. He couldn't be sure if it was broken, dislocated, or sprained. Under all that fur, who could tell?

He entered the Hospital wing, shouldering the door open and slipping through quickly. Madam Pomfrey was attending a Hufflepuff a little way down, and Draco waited impatiently, tapping his foot and glaring at the back of her head. Dante shifted a little in his arms, drawing his attention with a quiet mew.

"Yes, I know, Dante. I know." Draco soothed petting Dante's neck in what he hoped was a reassuring way. "It's going to be okay. I should have tried harder to make you stay in the dorm- I'm sorry." Dante stilled, his sides heaving.

Finally, Madam Pomfrey turned to him. Draco stepped forward again, and felt the truth spilling from his lips.

"My cat had a run in with a Tentacula plant. His front leg's hurt." He announced. Madam Pomfrey crouched down, inspecting the cat's eyes for a moment with a focused lumos. She then gently inspected Dante's leg.

As soon as she touched it, Dante yowled and lashed out with his other front leg, hissing viciously. Draco struggled to keep a hold on the cat as Madam Pomfrey dodged swiping claws.

"I'm not an expert on animals, Mister Malfoy." She stated severely. "And although some animals are strikingly similar to humans, cats are not among them. But his leg appears to be dislocated."

At that moment, Snape entered the Hospital Wing. He'd probably heard of Draco's mishap already and come to see how he was faring. Draco turned to him.

"Let me see." Snape growled, apparently having overheard what Madam Pomfrey said.

Snape pulled out his wand, and Dante began to struggle again. It was all Draco could do to hold on to the cat and stop from jostling the injured leg before Snape hit the cat with a silent spell. The effect was immediate. Dante stopped struggling, seeming not to be paralyzed, but instead unconscious. And yet when Draco looked, the cat's eyes were still open and alert.

Snape took Dante's leg by the elbow and the paw, watching the cat's face as he shifted himself into a position where he'd have a bit more leverage.

"Be prepared, Draco. He may struggle when I do this. On the count of three. One-" Snape snapped the limb back into place before he even got to three.

Dante screeched again, but his body stayed limp. Draco soothed the cat by petting his previously injured leg, rubbing the joint to help soothe the ache.

"Thanks, Professor." He mumbled, eyes still on Dante.

"Fifteen house points have been taken by Professor Sprout, and she requests that you not bring your pets into her class again." Draco ducked his head, embarrassed. Snape provided a full check up on the cat, in case there were any other injuries that they might have missed. "There's a scar on his forehead- possibly from an old fight. It's healed, however. It shouldn't give him much trouble." Draco nodded his thanks again and left the Hospital Wing.

He returned to the Slytherin common room, carefully laying Dante down in an armchair by the fire. He knelt, petting the cat's head and watching the pain leave it's emerald eyes.

"I've got to go back to class now. Don't get in too much trouble while I'm gone, alright? And stay away from any Tentacula that you see." Draco kissed the cat on the head softly, scratching the cat behind the ear as he left.

Dante watched the door long after it had closed behind the Slytherin Prince with a soft click, only the crackling fire to keep him company.

* * *

><p>GUH- Thank you all so much for the faves and alerts! The reviews always make me happy, as well. Seriously, I'm so glad that I've been getting so much positive feedback! I'll try to keep on turning out the chapters for you! Here's another chapter hot off the press! 8D<p> 


	5. Conundrum, the End

Night had fallen. The students had all eaten dinner and were instead in their respective dorm rooms, completing the homework they had already been assigned. Draco sat in his favorite chair, the one he had placed Harry in only hours earlier. As it was, Harry lay in his lap, purring and reveling in the attention Draco gave him.

Draco himself was working on his first essay of the year for McGonagall, having charmed his self-inking quill to write down whatever he dictated. He was choosing his words very carefully, staring into the fire as he thought. No one dared interrupt his concentration until he stopped talking. Draco was silent for so long the quill laid down on the table. Harry turned, looking at his 'master', wondering if something was wrong or if Draco was so lost in thought that he'd simply stopped talking.

Harry had come to quite like the sound of Draco's voice. It wasn't haughty or superior-sounding, as he had taken it when they threw insults at each other. It was velvety and warm, full of power and confidence. Harry loved Draco's voice. Somehow, it managed to send a thrill through him. And, he realized, it always had. What he had once thought of as hatred was becoming closer to affection.

Draco hadn't had a second thought when he rescued Harry from the Tentacula. And it had been Harry's own fault, after all. He'd seen the vines and ignored them, thinking that he'd be okay if he just stayed on the ground. He should have remembered that Tentaculas were known for their tenacity and ferociousness and never gone near the plant in the first place. Thankfully it had only been a seedling, so it hadn't killed him.

But Draco had pulled him from the vines so carefully, even after Harry's leg had been pulled from his socket. He'd been trying to be quiet, thinking he could get himself out. How wrong he was. And then what surprised Harry more was that Draco comforted him, but not beyond what was necessary. Draco wasn't like everyone else.

Everyone else comforted Harry about his misfortunes over and over again. He got sick of hearing it all the time. The only people who knew that were Hermione and Ron, and even they treated him as though he was glass sometimes. Draco, on the other hand, had never treated him like that. Even now, as a cat, the blonde didn't pamper him when it came to pain. Draco was the only one who treated him for what he really was- a person who had enough self-respect to make it through hardship.

_I swear, if someone says 'I'm sorry' or 'it's okay' to me one more time, I'm going to break something._ Harry thought, only half-joking, as he remembered the looks he would get whenever something particularly bad happened to him. Like when Sirius died.

Draco shifting brought Harry out of his own deep thoughts, and he was forcibly pulled back to the present. Those had been dangerous thoughts, anyways.

Malfoy's fingers resumed pulling through his fur, and Harry didn't hesitate to roll onto his back abruptly. It hadn't taken him very long to understand why animals loved it so much when their owners pet their stomachs. Draco chuckled, but complied, rubbing Harry's chest as he stretched out his legs while on his back.

"Draco, can't you cast a silencing charm on him?" Pansy appeared abruptly, a petulant expression on her face. "I'm trying to study, and he sounds like a dragon over here!"

Draco looked around to find a few fourth years agreeing with slight guilt flashing on their faces as they caught his gaze. Draco smirked, and instead of answering Pansy massaged Harry's ribs in just the right way.

Harry was in _heaven_. His purring only increased, and he closed his eyes in contentment.

"Drayyycooohh!" Pansy drew out his name, though the glint in her eyes told him she didn't actually mind as much as she said she did.

"Sorry, Pansy." He smirked. "It's not my fault."

"Is too." She pouted. But she didn't put up any more fight, and instead went back to her own homework.

Blaise and Draco shared a grin, Blaise having to stretch his neck to do so, as he was lying in front of the fire on his stomach, parchment placed on one of his text books in front of him so that he had a hard surface to write on.

In the common room, when the students were studying, rarely were the seats at the tables occupied. Most of the Slytherins much preferred to lay on the floor, recline on the couch, sit on an armchair, or sit on top of the table itself. Some even sat on the stairs to the dorms, or deliberately in the makeshift walkways between people.

The common room was the one place all of them could be themselves, Harry realized. No one here would judge them, as their peers from other houses would. And this was the one domain where their parent's power had no reach. They could truly relax. Hogwarts was their home just as much as it was his, or any other student's. _It's nice to know that they're actually human._ Harry thought to himself. He would have snickered if it was possible in this form.

"I think Dante is getting bigger." Draco said in a thoughtful tone, this time running his hands up and down Harry's sides. "Do y' reckon he put on a few pounds?"

"Nah. Then he'd just look big around here." Blaise got up onto one elbow, coming a little bit closer to poke Harry in the waist. "He just looks big all over. It's like he grew."

"The witch at Magical Menagerie never said he had any powers… He's supposed to be just a normal cat." Draco mused. Harry tried to keep purring, as if he had no idea what they were talking about. In actuality, he was kind of panicking.

Something told him that if Draco found out that he was Harry Potter, things were going to go downhill extremely fast. The Slytherin probably wouldn't take kindly to find his arch nemesis in his lap. The thing was, if he and his friend figured it out, Harry had no idea what would happen. He had no way to be prepared. He couldn't be sure how Draco would react. Would he throw Harry out? Or would he continue to care for him while he was a cat, only becoming more distant? Or would he hand him over to his father and therefore, Voldemort?

He wasn't a Death Eater yet, but who knew? Even if he didn't want to be one, how long could he hide Harry Potter? And even afterwards, if this got out (which Harry knew it would. Someone would go and shoot their mouth off to Rita Skeeter. That's just how things seemed to happen around him), how badly would Draco be hurt for not handing him over sooner? Draco liked him as a cat, but he'd already made it painfully clear that he didn't like Harry at all as a person.

"Well, he does seem to be more intelligent than other cats." Blaise noticed. "Pansy's cat is a right dunderhead in comparison." The two boys snickered. Harry rolled onto his stomach, pressing his back up against Draco's torso, trying to distract him somehow from the conversation.

"Maybe it has something to do with his collar? I mean, he came with it. Who's to say the collar doesn't have magical properties?" Malfoy was getting closer to the truth. Harry's heart beat faster. He almost didn't hear the rest of the conversation.

"His collar?" Blaise questioned, rolling onto his back and turning his head so that he could still talk to Draco and see him at the same time, hands clasped behind his head for comfort.

"Yeah. It was a necklace before, but I transfigured it on the train. Mum and Father weren't able to, though, when they tried at home."

"Maybe that has something to do with it, too. Didja ever try takin' it off of him?" Blaise suggested.

Harry bolted. He scrambled up off of Draco's lap, shot across the common room, and ducked under a bookshelf that held reference material put there by the students themselves. He curled up against the wall, trying to make himself as small as possible and stay away from the three open ends of the shelf in case someone made an attempt to grab him. He could always claw anyone who tried…

Harry's ears flattened when he heard approaching feet, and he curled his tail closer around his body, watching what he could see of the common room carefully. If Draco pulled the collar off, there was no telling what would happen. If such a thing were going to happen, and if the resulting consequence was for Harry to turn back into a human, the last place he wanted to do it was in the middle of the lion's den. Excuse the pun.

Draco crouched down in the front of the wardrobe, watching the glittering emerald eyes watch him. Harry hissed a little, glaring.

"C'mon out from under there, Dante." Draco extended an arm towards him, palm upturned. His fingers barely brushed Harry's fur, and that was when he stretched. "It's not like we're going to pull your tail off."

_Actually, in a way, you kind of are._ Harry thought. He hissed again, squishing himself against the wall to the point of pain.

Draco's arm was withdrawn, and he apparently stood up, because Harry was treated to a view of the blonde's shoes.

"Goyle, you have longer arms than me. Try to get him out of there, would you?" Draco asked.

Goyle must have complied, because soon enough there was a bit of shuffling, and before Harry could blink, he was being yanked out by his back leg. He yowled and twisted, trying not to claw Goyle (because, after all, he was only doing what Draco asked of him) but ultimately failing in the end. The boy didn't drop him, though, and instead held him immobile while Blaise attempted to get the collar off of Harry.

Before, it had rested at the base of Harry's neck and on his shoulders somewhat, loose and comfortable, like it had been made specifically for him to wear it. Now, as it traveled up his neck at the hands of Blaise, it seemed to get tighter and tighter until it wouldn't fit over his head, and his windpipe was feeling the pressure. Blaise let it go, and the collar dropped back to its original place, where it once more loosened and felt as if it wasn't even there anymore, save for its weight, which Harry had long ago gotten used to.

"Is there a clasp or something? It won't come off." Blaise began feeling around the collar, and Harry took the opportunity to leap out of Goyle's arms, as the boy had dropped his guard the instant Harry had stopped fighting. If Harry dug his claws in when he leapt, well, that just couldn't be helped.

Harry, however, made the mistake of jumping for Draco, leaping nimbly upon his shoulder and slinking around to lay like a scarf around his shoulders, begging with his eyes for Draco not to allow this to continue.

Thankfully, Draco said with a chuckle-

"Alright, alright. We'll stop trying to take it off of you, alright? Jeez." Draco smirked, secretly proud that his cat was intelligent enough to have morals. Who knew? Maybe collars were the equivalent of clothes to cats. Maybe Dante just didn't want to be stripped naked by a whole other species.

Okay. Those were some awkward thoughts. Draco shook his head briefly to rid himself of them before turning his attention back to Goyle.

"Are you alright, Goyle?" He asked. The other teen was already preforming healing spells on the cuts on his arms, wiping away the blood.

"Yeah, 'm fine."

"Ah." The few stares they had attracted turned back to their own work, and Draco made his way back to the table where his essay-in-progress was waiting. He read over it once with a critical eye. He only had about half of it done. He made a few corrections with the quill, and then turned to the cat upon his shoulder.

"What do you think so far? Good?"

Harry meowed. Draco snorted, rolling the parchment up and taking his quill in the other hand. He turned to his dorm-mates, giving a benign smile before backing up to the stairs leading to the dorms.

"I think I'm going to turn in early. This essay for McGonagall gave me a headache." He announced.

"Oh! Oh! Draco, I'll take you down to the Hospital Wing if you want! It can be just the two of us!" At some point, Pansy seemed to have rejoined the conversation. If she noticed him grimace, she didn't give any outward sign.

"Uh- no thanks, Pans. Maybe another time…?" _How lame could you get? Even if you aren't interested in her… Merlin._ Draco thought to himself. He could have been a bit more tactful about that.

Instead, he turned and hurried up to the dorm. Harry leapt down from his shoulders and onto his bed, curling in the spot by the pillow that he seemed to have already claimed as Draco readied himself for bed.

Harry heard the shower go on in the adjacent bathroom, and closed his eyes to wait. Disaster narrowly avoided. But with Slytherins, if it was one stereotype that he'd noticed was actually true, they wouldn't be likely to drop the issue of his collar so easily. It was only a matter of time until Draco became curious as well.

Draco came back a half an hour later, laying down still dripping wet. Harry curled into himself closer, not liking the idea of getting wet one bit. Before they'd come to Hogwarts this term, he'd accidentally been caught out in some early morning rain. It had taken hours to get his fur dry, and that was with a house elf toweling him down. And the house elf had been extremely thorough. Fun, right? Definitely not.

Draco laughed at Harry's equivalent of a grumble, and drew the curtains around his bed so that all light was blocked out. Soon enough his breathing became soft and even, and Harry began to watch. Not watching Draco, of course, but watching for others. Watching, waiting, in case for some ridiculous reason someone wanted to come and hurt the youngest Malfoy.

Harry still wasn't quite sure why, but ever since Draco had rescued him from the Tentacula, and just now after Draco had called his friends off of getting the collar from him, he felt like he owed Draco. He wanted to protect the Slytherin. Just as Draco had protected him.

Just as he was about to sleep, right about midnight, Harry realized something that made him stay awake until Draco woke up five minutes late for classes the next day.

Harry just might be falling in love with Draco Malfoy. And he was alright with that.

* * *

><p>Thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews and such! I really appreciate it, and it means a lot to me that you all like this story so much. Really. I hope that you will all continue to read and enjoy the story as we go along. I'm not sure how many chapters there are left, but I do believe there will be quite a few. Also, this is an extra long chapter because of all the love. I had a lot of muse because of you guys!<p>

If you have any suggestions or ideas for where this could go, I would love to hear from you! And thank you all again! I love you all so much! X3


	6. Controlled

"Any leads?" Kingsley growled, flicking through old Daily Prophets at the table of Number 12 Grimmauld Place.

"None." Arthur Weasley scrubbed a hand over his face, sighing tiredly. "Harry Potter is truly missing."

Even Molly was subdued as she stirred a pot on the stove, frown coming over her face. There was not a single person in the house at the moment that was not worried about Harry Potter's wellbeing. The Order had been doing all they could to get a lead. The last Harry had been seen was in Borgin and Burkes by a shifty-eyed witch who'd seen him through the dusty window. And then nothing. She hadn't seen him go out, hadn't seen him go in.

They couldn't even be sure of that. The witch in question could have been paid to say that, or just have said it to keep them wandering in circles. Also, the cleanliness of the shop window at Borgin and Burkes was questionable to say the least. It could have been any black-haired kid with glasses.

"We've just got to keep looking, keep an ear out. He'll turn up. Constant vigilance!" Mad-Eye grunted loudly, pacing the floor in the drawing room.

Molly pursed her lips. Arthur sighed, running a hand through his hair and getting up.

"I'd better get back to the Ministry. Lunch break's almost over." And with that, he kissed Molly on the cheek, grabbed his hat from the coat stand, and left.

Kingsley stood as well.

"Me too." He put a comforting hand on Molly's shoulder. "Don't worry, Molly. We'll find him." He murmured. Patting her shoulder, he used the floo to return to the Ministry.

Molly just stirred a little harder.

oooOOOooo

It seemed as if all too soon, winter break was upon them. Draco loaded Dante up, managed to find all of his textbooks, and had his clothes all in his trunk. Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy were in another compartment, so the train ride back to Platform 9¾ was anything but eventful, and all too soon Draco found himself staring into the face of his father. They exchanged a curt nod, Draco holding his trunk in one hand, Dante's carrier in the other.

"Draco." Draco said nothing. "I see you managed to transfigure that necklace." Lucius' tone was not approving nor disapproving. Indifference. Draco sneered.

"Yes, Father." Lucius' eyes narrowed at the tone, but he did nothing.

Instead, he took Draco's shoulder and Apparated to Malfoy Manor.

"Put your things in your room. Your mother and I have a surprise for you in the dining room."

Draco really, really didn't like the way Lucius said that. He never liked surprises, anyways. But from his parents? The last time he'd gotten a surprise from his parents, he was three years old and he'd gotten a charmed stuffed elephant that was sentient. He was pretty sure it was supposed to have been found cute, but Draco had only found it disturbing.

But he did as his father said. He let Dante out of his carrier, and when he was satisfied that everything was in its place, he left. But he didn't close the door all the way, leaving it open just enough that Dante was able to squirm through. The cat didn't trot beside him, like usual, instead hanging back and slinking around corners with ears tucked close to his head. Draco thought it was strange, and before he reached the dining room, he turned and knelt down, holding his hand out to the cat. Dante was all the way down the hall, peeking around the corner.

"C'mon, Dante. What's wrong?" Draco called, making a few clicking sounds. Dante didn't come. Draco sighed. His father wasn't going to wait much longer.

So he stood, forgetting the cat, and continued on to the dining room.

He nearly stopped in the doorway.

The table had been cleared away, possibly Vanished. Instead, around the room in a half-circle stood Death Eaters. A lot of them. Draco couldn't recognize any of them because they all had their masks on, save for his father. Lucius was standing beside the Dark Lord in the center of the circle, both of them looking extremely pleased. Draco tried not to be fazed, and instead sank into a half bow. He didn't plan on serving the Dark Lord, but if he didn't show 'respect', he was going to die.

"Ahhh, Draco. The man of the hour." Voldemort hummed. Draco nodded tersely, his heart pounding in his ears. "Your father and I were just having a little talk… And I've decided to allow you into our ranks." The Dark Lord swept a hand back at the rest of the Death Eaters.

"With all due respect, Lord, I feel no desire to convene with your men." Draco formed his words very carefully as he spoke them. Voldemort gestured for him to go on. Draco did so, more nervously now. "I support your cause, I do, and I would do anything to help you, but I only feel that taking your mark at this time would be inconvenient to the both of us."

"That, Draco, is not your decision, I'm afraid." The Dark Lord pointed his wand at Draco.

His fear finally showed, and Draco backed up a step, blinking, his breaths coming a little shorter. Still, he could do nothing but stand there as Voldemort hissed-

"_Crucio_!" Draco dropped to the floor, writhing in pain. He couldn't scream- it hurt too much. "You should have just accepted it, Draco. Now I have to punish you."

Draco screamed as the pain intensified. Dignity was gone. He couldn't focus on anything but the pain. The faint chuckles that echoed around the circle were lost to him, though he thought faintly that Voldemort must have been chuckling too, otherwise they wouldn't be allowed.

Finally, finally, the pain ebbed away. Draco felt himself hoisted up by his armpits, and he had the sense to look up enough to see Voldemort come closer. He tried to get away, tried to struggle. He tugged at his arms, praying that miraculously they would let go and somehow he could escape.

But the grip there was strong. Unwavering. Draco wasn't getting out of this one. Voldemort came closer, grabbed his left wrist and pulled the sleeve of his robes back. His wand pressed into the soft inside of Draco's forearm to the point of pain, and suddenly Draco's brain felt fried. Literally. He screamed, the fire in his arm spreading up to his shoulder, up his neck. Merlin, it hurt!

As that pain too left, Draco gasped for air. He felt breathless, as if someone had just socked him a good one in the stomach.

"Lucius… He's yours to deal with now." With that, Draco was dropped to the floor. The Death Eaters dispersed after Voldemort himself left.

Draco looked up at his father, who's face had turned from smirking to sneering. Draco had seen the look many times before. It was the look that told him he wasn't going to like whatever was coming next, and Lucius wasn't likely to stop unless Narcissa told him to. And Narcissa never told him to.

"No son of mine will refuse the Dark Lord's wishes. You have disgraced the Malfoy name." Lucius kicked him in the stomach, and Draco curled in on himself, coughing.

After that, the blows did not stop. By the time Lucius was done with him, Draco could barely drag himself back to his room. He was disgusted with himself. When he was alone in his room, he looked down at the writhing mark on his arm. The snake hissed silently at him, and Draco snarled back. What could he do now? Not only was he now tethered to the Dark Lord, but a decent job was completely out of his reach, but he would never be able to settle down in one place. A family was also entirely out of his reach.

His friends… What would they say? How would they react? Yes, Crabbe and Goyle's fathers were Death Eaters, but he doubted they wanted to be. And Blaise, who he would call his best friend… Wuld they still be friends after this? And Pansy, even if her attentions were somewhat unwelcome, he wouldn't want to lose the normalcy that it brought.

Draco leaned against the wall beside his door, closing it just as Dante slipped through. Tears were streaming slowly down his face. But it didn't matter. No one was here to see it. Dante purred, butting his head against Draco's arm. Draco took one look at the cat, scooped it up in his arms, and sobbed into its fur.

oooOOOooo

Christmas morning was uneventful. Lucius wouldn't let Draco heal his wounds with magic, and now Draco felt like it was a competition of how long he could hold out. The skin around the Dark Mark was red and irritated, and it hurt when anything touched it, but Draco wore long sleeves anyways. It was difficult enough to keep his composure, but it was worse whenever he was around Lucius.

He received nothing of significance for Christmas. A few books. A shifty-looking knife, and a new set of dress robes. Not much, but all were expensive and rare. Draco pretended to be pleased. He just wanted to get to Hogwarts as fast as possible. Dante had taken to following Draco around again, sitting in his lap whenever he sat down, hissing at whoever came near.

Quite frankly, Draco was happy for it. The last thing he wanted right now was for somebody to touch him, benign intention or not be damned.

He was extremely happy when he was back on the train to Hogwarts. He slouched in his seat, putting his feet up on the seat opposite. Not many of the students wanted to share a compartment with Draco Malfoy, thankfully. Dante lay down on his chest, purring as Draco scratched in-between his shoulder blades. Draco was thankful for his company, at least. At least the cat wouldn't judge him.

He heard the compartment door slide open, and at this point, he really didn't care who it was so long as they didn't talk to him. He did chance a glance out of the corner of his eye, though. It was the Weasel and the Mudblood again. Just his luck.

"What happened to your face, Ferret-boy?" Draco turned to look at the Weasel with a glare.

Lucius had kicked Draco in the face during his beating, and the bruise still hadn't faded. He imagined it looked pretty bad- purple and blue all over his cheekbone, yellowing at the edges.

"Mind your own business, Weasel." Draco spat.

Hermione touched Ron's hand, pleading with her eyes to get him to stop throwing insults. Obviously, Harry's absence was taking a toll on them. Harry… Oh Merlin, any chance whatsoever Draco had had to redeem himself was gone now. Draco grabbed his left arm, trying to make it seem like he was just hugging his cat.

The two left after the snack witch came, and Draco was left alone with his dangerous thoughts and a quiet cat.

* * *

><p>I'm sorry for this chapter. I don't like this one's ending at all, and I'll endeavor to make the next one much better. I want to thank you all (again) for all your support on this. To give you all something to look forward to- secrets will be revealed next chapter~ Which will be extra long. I promise. XD<p>

Ta ta for now!


	7. Calamitous

Later, Draco wandered the halls of Hogwarts during dinner. Harry followed him, sometimes straying in front of him and trying to do something cute (how the hell was he supposed to be _cute_?!) or funny. Draco had shut down. He wouldn't talk to anyone. He wouldn't even pay attention to Harry, who missed his affection greatly.

Draco finally stopped walking at one point, standing in the middle of the hallway and staring down at the floor. Harry could tell that although the Slytherin stood right in front of him, he was actually miles away. Harry did figure eights around Draco's ankles, purring and meowing, trying to stem the tears he could see welling up in Draco's eyes. Yeah. Draco had been doing a lot of that lately, when he was alone. Harry rubbed up against the inside of Draco's leg, jumping a little as he did, meowing louder.

Finally, Draco crouched down and pet him, and Harry purred. He prayed that he'd succeeded in drawing Draco's attention away from the day he'd gotten the Dark Mark.

Harry didn't hold that against him. Draco had fought as much as one could in his position. He'd even told Harry that he didn't want to be a Death Eater. And as much as Harry tried, he couldn't hate Draco for what he'd been through. His father was obviously abusive, as well. Draco hadn't looked so bad in… well, ever.

And since he'd come to realize he loved Draco, it hurt Harry to see him in such pain. The real Draco, the one he'd come to know, didn't deserve this.

Harry put a paw on Draco's knee, elevating himself up on his hind legs. Draco just watched him with mild surprise in his eyes. Harry began to lap at Draco's tears, ignoring the salty taste. He just wanted Draco to stop crying. For him to stop feeling bad for himself and do something about it. If only he were human again, he'd be able to tell Draco that.

Draco picked him up, petting him while Harry lapped at his cheeks. Now standing, Draco let out a shaky breath.

The snake around Harry's neck glinted, the diamonds seemed to catch the light and hold it, glowing a bright white. The Amethyst of the eye glowed as well.

Harry felt himself begin to grow. It was as painless as shrinking had been. Suddenly, he had his arms around Draco's neck, and they were pressed flush against one another. Harry could still feel the collar around his neck, still resting gently there. It took him a moment longer to realize that he had his lips on Draco's cheek.

Draco, on the other hand, was in shock.

His cat had just transformed.

Into Harry Potter.

What. The. Fuck.

"…What the hell is this, Potter?" Draco flinched back, tears suddenly gone, glaring furiously at Harry.

"Um. Ah. Well. It's a long story." Harry began flailing for words, swallowing hard. "Please, hear me out Draco."

Draco eyed him warily, obviously wondering if he should run or stay put. He sighed, sitting down heavily on the floor.

"Talk." He waved his hand at Harry, gesturing for him to explain.

"Don't you think we should go somewhere a little more private?" Harry looked down at himself. He was still wearing the muggle clothes he'd been to Borgin and Burkes in- a blue sweatshirt, jeans, and trainers.

"Listen Potter. You either talk here and now, or I can leave and leave you to deal with whatever shit your absence has stirred up alone. Your choice." Harry sat beside him, though not too close, with a grimace.

"Alright. Well, before term started, I was staying over at the Weasley's house. We were going to floo to Diagon Alley, but I coughed when some ash got in my throat and I ended up in Borgin and Burkes." He began, fiddling with his fingers in his lap.

"Go on." Draco's voice held no emotion. It only made Harry more worried.

"I found this necklace in the shop, and I didn't mean to touch it, but I did. It must have been cursed, because something forced me to put it on. And then I was a cat. Borgin chased me out, and the witch from Magical Menagerie found me while I was running out. You bought me and brought me home." Harry shifted as Draco's stare turned from the opposite wall to him.

"I didn't like what was going on, I mean, it was you I was stuck with, as a _cat_ for Merlin's sake. I tried to annoy you enough to toss me out so that I could at least get to Ron or Hermione, but it just didn't happen that way. And no matter how many times I tried to take the necklace off, it just wouldn't budge.

"And then I met you. Not… Not Malfoy, but Draco. And I began to understand some things that I didn't think was possible. But it was, and… Well, after you rescued me from the Tentacula, I just… I wanted to protect you, too. I felt like I owed you." Harry wondered if he should confess.

Well, here went nothing.

"And I… I think I… I came to really, really like you. I mean, not as a friend. But… As something more?" It came out as a question, and Harry didn't dare look at Draco for fear of his reaction.

Draco said nothing for a very, very long time. If they weren't careful, dinner would be over and students would begin to return to their dorm rooms. They would be found.

"That's not possible." The blonde finally said quietly. "You're telling me that you were transformed into a cat by a cursed necklace, and then were under my care for months?! And you didn't try to tell me who you were?!" Draco's voice was raising.

"I just didn't want to have the responsibility of being _me_ for a little bit. I'm sorry I-" Harry tried to explain quickly in a hushed whisper, but Draco cut him off by standing up abruptly. Harry stood, too.

"And now you're telling me that you _like me_? That you want to go out or whatever?! This is insane. _You're_ insane. You're _Harry fucking Potter_!" Draco tugged at his own hair nervously, and Harry shifted, worrying his lip. This was going downhill way too fast. "You're Harry _fucking_ Potter. You can't possibly like me!" Draco repeated.

"No, maybe I can't." Draco looked up at that. "But maybe Dante did. Still does." Harry's heart beat faster when the confusion and pain in Draco's eyes didn't let up.

"No. No no no no no. I can't deal with this right now. Fuck this. Just- Fuck- Fuck this." Draco put a hand to his face, sighing angrily. He was frustrated. Naturally. Harry took a step closer, holding out a hand that he wasn't sure what it was meant to do.

"Please, Draco. Please, just give me a chance." He begged, eyes imploring Draco to calm down if only he would look up.

"No. No. I can't- I just… I can't. And don't call me that. You're Potter. I'm Malfoy. That's all there is." And with that, Draco ran.

Well, he didn't run. More like walked quickly with long strides down the hallway and out of sight.

Harry wondered why he wasn't running after him. Why wasn't he chasing after Draco, trying to fix this? What was wrong with him. And his heart despaired. What was he thinking? Draco might have been gay, but who said he would ever want Harry? Harry, who purposely tried to make his life into a living Hell. Harry, who ignored him unless they were fighting or playing Quidditch.

The change came slowly this time, though it sped up with every passing depressing thought. Soon enough, Harry was once more a black cat, sitting off to the side of the hallway, hanging his head in sorrow. A large group of students went by chattering and laughing with each other after dinner. Harry's mind was still on Draco, and the pain he'd seen rolling off of the other teen. Especially how he couldn't fix it.

oooOOOooo

"And then he told me that he-" Draco cut himself off, putting his head in his hands, doing anything not to look at Snape. "-Nevermind." No. He'd keep the fact that Harry apparently liked him to himself.

"Well. You know I'll have to tell the Order about this now. And his friends may take this terribly. I want to see that necklace, as well." Draco nodded mutely as his Godfather spoke. "As quickly as you can, please." Snape's voice was tense.

Draco got up and trudged out of Snape's office. He retraced his steps back to the hallway where he'd left Harry, figuring that he'd just go from there to figure out where Harry would have gone (though the Gryffindor common room seemed the appropriate choice). But when he looked, he realized he didn't have to go far. There Harry was, huddled as a cat, staring at the stones beneath his paws.

Draco sighed. He felt so drained. Did it hardly matter how he treated Harry anymore? He was too tired to deal with this shit.

"Snape wants to see your collar." He grunted, scooping Harry up and holding on firmly. "And you're coming, whether you want to or not." And back he went, Harry not putting up a fight of any kind.

"… Sorry for running off like that." Draco mumbled quietly. Harry butted his head against Draco's cheek. It was probably the best 'you're forgiven' that he was going to get.

Soon enough they were in Snape's office. Severus himself was sitting at the desk looking tired, yet composed. Draco put Harry down on the desk, but he didn't step back like Harry thought he would. Instead, Draco kept a hand on Harry's back. Some form of reassurance? Harry couldn't be sure.

"Ahh… Mister Potter. So glad you finally decided to join us." Snape sneered. "Hold still. This shouldn't hurt."

He stood, taking out his wand and preforming a few incantations over Harry. Occasionally, his eyes would narrow or an eyebrow would rise, but all in all there wasn't much of a reaction. It took him about half an hour to finish his assessment. Snape sat back in his office chair when he was done, folding his fingers together in front of his face, staring at the collar contemplatively.

"It seems, Potter, that you've picked up a very powerful cursed item. It's called the Necklace of Allure. When one puts it on, it instantly transforms that person into an animal that the person they love finds acceptable. After that it will twist fate until it brings the transformed and their love together. Only that person's love can force the necklace to do anything. For example, transfigure it, or take it off.

"Taking off the necklace does not remove the curse. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that it would only strengthen it. The only way you will be able to transform back is if the person you love accepts you and your affections both the way you are as an animal and the way you are as a human." Snape sighed at the end of his speech, rubbing his temples.

Harry and Draco shared a look.

"Wait. So does that mean that… _I'm_ the one he loves?" Draco asked, gobsmacked. Both of them looked to the professor for an answer, wide-eyed with surprise. Even Harry's jaw hung open a little bit.

"Brilliant observation, Draco." Snape rolled his eyes, speaking sarcastically. "Maybe we should get you a plaque. Yes, Harry is in love with you. It's up to you to reject or accept his affections, however. Just keep in mind that if you don't, Mister Potter will be spending the remainder of his life eating tuna and meowing whenever he wants something."

"…And… You're… Okay with that?" Draco asked tentatively, finding this conversation extremely strange and more than slightly awkward.

"Honestly Draco, I couldn't care less." Snape met his godson's gaze evenly. "What you do with your life isn't up to me." If there was a little bit more contempt in his voice than necessary, no one pointed it out. "Now if you aren't careful, you'll miss curfew. Potter, tomorrow is Saturday. I expect to see both you and Draco in front of the Headmaster's office at ten o'clock sharp. If you're late, twenty points from Gryffindor."

Harry couldn't find a way to reply to that. His head was spinning with newfound knowledge. Draco had to love him back? He felt sick. Draco picked him up again, and headed back to the Slytherin dorms. He didn't say anything to Harry as they walked, and the sick feeling only grew, and cold dread along with it. What was going to happen to him?

They entered the common room, and Blaise smiled when he saw Draco.

"Yo- didn't see you at dinner. Thought you'd gone off the deep end on us. But you're lookin' better." He noted.

Draco nodded, and headed straight up to bed. Harry was, of course, taken with him. Harry jumped down from Draco's arms, sitting on the floor and watching him go about his getting ready for bed. But unlike all the other times, Draco took his clothes into the bathroom to change. Harry panicked in his silence, and a few times it felt like he was going to throw up.

What had he done?! He never should have looked at the necklace in the first place. Then he wouldn't have gotten himself into this mess…

This sucked. There really was no other word for it, even if he had to pull it out of a seven year old's vocabulary. The epitome of suck. That's what this was.

Draco reemerged, and Harry backed away a little as he crawled into bed. Before Harry could jump onto the bed as well, Draco closed the curtains on him. Harry knew a 'stay out' when he saw one. Instead, he fell asleep on the floor just beside Draco's bed, feeling like a complete loser. What was he thinking? He got a chance to talk, and he blew any sort of chance he had of getting out of this form.

Like he said.

Epitome of suck.


	8. Conversations

Draco was up bright and early the next morning. He hadn't slept well during the night, and ended up awaking early. Instead of getting out of bed, he waited for a few minutes until he felt ready. Who knows what would be waiting for him in the Headmaster's office? He'd only been there once before in his second year with his father when Lucius and Dumbledore discussed the Slytherin Quidditch team brooms.

When he swung his legs out of bed while simultaneously pulling back one of the curtains, the bottom of his foot brushed something furry. Draco wished he could have been confused about it, but before he looked down, he knew instantly that Harry had stretched out beside the bed. His eyes met emerald, and Draco sighed before avoiding the cat and picking out muggle clothes to wear.

Surprisingly, Draco actually did have muggle clothes. High-end though they were, they were muggle clothes nonetheless. He went into the bathroom to put them on, feeling self-conscious now that he knew that Dante was actually Harry. Cashmere grey sweater, green vest, and black slacks. Comfortable, and he looked good.

"Alright, come on. We've got an hour before they expect us. Might as well get some breakfast." Draco sighed. Harry stood, leaving off licking his flank in order to follow Draco out of the common room.

Harry was very easily able to keep pace with Draco, and walked beside him. Thankfully, as it was Saturday, not many people were loitering about the hallways. For that, Draco was thankful. He did not feel very social at the moment.

He picked an isolated spot at the end of the Slytherin table, absentmindedly pouring a goblet of milk for Harry and putting some eggs on a napkin for him as well when the cat jumped onto the table top. The food he dished out for himself was an extremely small portion. He poked at his eggs with his fork a bit, and took a bite of toast that he found hard to swallow because it was too dry. He coughed a little before downing some Pumpkin juice.

Draco looked over to Harry only to find that he hadn't touched any of the food. At least, not that Draco could see. The cat was sitting staring at his paws, the tip of his tail flicking a little.

"You're not hungry, either?" He whispered, not entirely sure as to why he was making conversation. Maybe it was the nerves.

Wait. Why was he nervous? This was a big deal, but… Draco didn't have time to elaborate on that thought, as Harry shook his head. Draco took a good look at the cat. Everything about him screamed tired. His whiskers were droopy, he couldn't keep his eyes open, and his tail was moving much slower than Draco initially thought.

"Did you sleep at all last night?" Harry shook his head. "Why?" Harry shrugged. "Weren't you tired?" Harry shrugged again. "Did you think someone was going to come and, what, kill us?" Draco asked, slightly amused. But Harry didn't do anything. It dawned on Draco. "Were you… Protecting me?" Harry nodded. "…All night?" Another nod.

Draco was effectively shut up.

No more was said until they stood in front of the entrance to the Headmaster's office. They were fifteen minutes early, but that hardly mattered. If Snape's expression had anything to do with it, anyways. He was already standing there, making Draco wonder exactly how long he had been waiting.

Harry was just glad that Snape only turned and spoke the password instead of taking away twenty points from Gryffindor. Draco picked Harry up when he failed to get on the rotating stairs, depositing the cat on his shoulder as a reflex rather than a conscious decision.

Snape entered the room first after knocking with a single knuckle. Draco followed much more hesitantly. There were… Quite a lot of people in the room, to say the least. Molly Weasley, Kingsley Shackelbolt (whom he only recognized from pictures from the _Daily Prophet_), Mad-Eye Moody, the Weasel and the Mudblood, Remus Lupin, a woman he didn't recognize, Dumbledore himself, and Snape.

The people in the room must have already been informed of what had happened, because the Mudblood rushed up and scooped Harry off of Draco's shoulder without preamble, squealing and crying into his fur. Soon enough, Harry was buried under people. Draco stood by awkwardly at the edge of the room. His nerves were only shown by him holding his left arm.

Harry, in the meantime, was trying to struggle out of various grabbing arms. Too many grabby hands and pulling grasps from the women, too much poking and prodding from the men. At some point, he scratched someone (He couldn't be sure who) and leapt for Draco, who caught him and allowed him to press himself close to his chest. When Harry looked up, his gaze plainly said 'Please save me'. Draco chuckled lowly, forgetting himself for a moment.

Dumbledore gave everyone a moment to calm down before he spoke.

"I have called you all together to give you all peace of mind. There is nothing we can do about Harry's current condition, so I suggest that those of us who have been fretting put ourselves at ease." He peered over his half-moon spectacles at Molly, who did not miss the significance of this and blushed accordingly. "All I can say is that we must wait for this to play out. Putting pressure on Draco and Harry will not prove fruitful for any of us." At this, he sent a look to Ron.

Ronald, of course, missed this.

"Headmaster." Draco spoke up for the first time. "Where will Harry be, now that we all know he's… Harry." Hermione looked surprised at this, and all eyes turned to Dumbledore.

"He shall stay with you, Draco." There was a twinkle in his eye that made Draco feel like it was going to be okay, because Dumbledore made everything okay. Even for Malfoys. "I only have one request- that you do not inform your housemates of this. I do not want Harry to be missing his tail due to someone having a grudge against him and deciding to prey upon him while he is easier to attack."

Draco nodded. Harry climbed up onto his shoulder, sitting down and watching the proceedings from there.

"Now that we've all that settled, I'm calling this meeting to a close. As short as it was, I hope that it provided all of you with some insight." Dumbledore nodded, and all took that as their dismissal.

Kingsley nodded at Harry as he took the Floo back to the Ministry, and Arthur attempted an awkward shoulder-pat before doing the same. Molly cupped the side of Harry's face and neck, smiling.

"You be good, alright? You'll be back to normal in no time." She said, and she took the floo to the Burrow.

Mad-Eye said he had something to discuss with Dumbledore, and Remus and the woman Draco didn't know said their goodbyes and left. The address they spoke was unfamiliar to Draco, and as soon as they'd said it, he'd forgotten it. Fidelius charm, he realized with a small smirk. Snape stayed behind as well, so it was Hermione, Ron, Draco, and Harry standing on different stairs as they descended.

The silence was tense, but none of them was willing to break it. Stepping out into the chilly January morning, Draco walked down the hall until it became open-aired around the courtyard, where he stopped and turned to look out over said courtyard. A small smile came to his lips as he watched a few snowflakes begin to fall. He clasped his hands behind his back, Harry beginning to purr on his shoulder, tail twitching behind Draco's shoulder blade. It was an extremely serene moment. It was like everything faded away for a moment, and it didn't matter that the cat on his shoulder was Harry Potter, and that he was Draco Malfoy. He was allowed to just... Be.

Although, he didn't miss the words Hermione hissed to Ron as they bypassed the two.

"_Since when did Malfoy call Harry by his name?_"

oooOOOooo

That night, Draco bypassed the belated Christmas party the Slytherins were having in the common room in favor of going to his bed, claiming that he had another headache and decided to go to sleep early. This time, he allowed Harry to jump up onto the bed with him. Once the cat had taken his familiar spot by the pillow, Draco drew the curtains and cast a silencing charm around his bed. Just in case. He didn't want anyone to hear what he said.

Draco sat up, Indian style in the middle of his bed. Harry had lain down, watching him carefully. The blonde took a deep breath before beginning.

"Harry, did you… Um… Understand everything that happened when you were a cat?" Harry nodded. "So you know about this." Draco tapped the inside of his left forearm, a grimace on his face.

Harry nodded again, sitting up. Draco obviously held all of his attention. The youngest Malfoy briefly wondered how Harry could still seem so human and _Harry_ when he was just a cat.

"How can you possibly care for me if I'm a… I'm a… Oh, Merlin, I can't even say it." Draco growled in frustration, tugging at his hair again. It was becoming increasingly rumpled and out of its usually-gelled style as he did so.

Harry shuddered, feeling like he was being torn in two. Not emotionally, but physically. Thankfully, the sensation did not last long, and he was soon sitting Indian style on Draco's pillow. He shifted a little so that he wasn't, pointedly ignoring Draco's surprised look. Finally, when he was situated, he returned his attention to Draco.

"Draco, I don't care. I know that you didn't want to be one." Harry raised a hand hesitantly, his fingertips skimming Draco's cheek.

As a cat, he was used to being affectionate. Nobody had known it was him, and it just felt good, like it was _right_.

"I know you fought against him, and you just wanted to do the right thing. And I think, in the end, that's all any of us can ever really hope to do." Harry whispered, as if his words would break the shaky peace that was settling over them.

"…So… You're not mad?" Draco's voice sounded small.

"No, not really." Harry shook his head, his hand lingering on Draco's face. They were silent for a long time, neither one of them moving. Harry's arm began to ache, but he didn't care.

"…Why do you keep transforming? It's very confusing." Draco asked suddenly.

"Yes, now imagine how it is for me." Harry joked, smirking. "I don't know. I… I think that I become human again whenever I feel… really strongly for you. And you for me?" His voice became small and meek, and he wondered when it had become so difficult to deal with _feelings_.

"… I never said that." Draco backpedaled.

Harry was a cat again, just as fast. He glared at Draco, though there was no real heat behind it.

"That is going to take a lot of getting used to if you're going to keep shifting between one and the other." Draco sighed, flopping down beside Harry onto his stomach and nuzzling into his pillow, tensing entirely before relaxing his whole body.

Harry sent him a look that plainly said '_You're telling me._'

Draco only rolled his eyes and hugged his pillow closer before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

><p>One more chapter for tonight, and then I'm hitting the hay. XD I can never thank you guys enough for how much love you show this story. 8D It means a lot to me. I feel like I'm saying that too much, but it doesn't make it any less true. Thank you thank you thank you. From the bottom of my heart. ...The top of my heart. Whichever one means the most.<p>

THANK YOU FROM THE MIDDLE OF MY HEART.

I've got to stop talking about hearts. Songs for this chapter are Every Day, by Rascal Flatts, and You Found Me, by The Fray. These are the things I listen to while writing. XD

Soo... Guys... Top!Draco or Bottom!Draco? Review and let me know, because that's exactly what's showing up in the next chapter.


	9. Copulating

The next few days were extremely strange for the pair. The Weasel and the Mudblood were giving them looks that made Draco feel extremely uncomfortable. Harry pretended not to notice. Draco no longer trapped Harry in the common room, instead letting him out in the morning and requesting that he just stay away from the greenhouses. Harry followed him around to his classes. Although the cat never went in, he was always waiting outside when Draco got out.

He'd made amends with Blaise, Goyle, and Crabbe, apologizing for shutting them out for a time. They still didn't ask about what had happened, which Draco was glad for.

Draco had taken to flying around the empty Quidditch pitch occasionally, practicing by himself since the planned Quidditch matches hadn't taken place on account of the weather. They'd had a snow storm just after Draco and Harry had gone to see Dumbledore, so the match had been put off until the next week, when things were expected to settle down.

Usually, Harry huddled down on the pitch, one dot of black in a sea of white.

This time, when Draco landed as it was beginning to get dark, Harry wasn't there. Draco didn't think this was too unusual, considering it was cold out and snow was wet. It probably affected cats, too. So he put his broom away and made for the showers, feeling sweaty and sticky and cold. A hot shower would warm him up much faster.

Starting the water, he stripped while he waited for it to warm up. He put a towel and his clothes on a bench nearby and stepped under the spray, closing the flimsy curtain behind him. He sighed, letting the pounding water take care of his aching muscles.

The curtain moved behind him, and he gave a start. Draco was about to turn around and demand the person to get out, but arms wrapped around his waist and a head rested itself on his shoulder.

"'S just me." Harry murmured. Draco relaxed.

Inexplicably, he trusted Harry. Entirely. And apparently, Harry trusted him, otherwise he wouldn't have gotten in the shower with him.

"Oh." He breathed.

Harry's hands roamed, moving from Draco's belly to his sides, kneading the muscles there before moving to Draco's back. Harry spent a moment there, massaging Draco's shoulders and back muscles. The Slytherin was getting aroused. Of course, there would be no hiding it here, but he tried anyways. Harry stepped forward once more to fold his hands around Draco's waist, pulling them flush. Draco was suddenly extremely aware that Harry was also aroused. He blushed, worrying his lower lip.

"Draco…" Harry breathed. Draco shuddered. "You don't have to hide yourself from me." The words were spoken lowly, as though if they were any louder the atmosphere would be broken.

Draco spun in Harry's arms, kissing him hard on the mouth. Harry pushed back, backing Draco against the cold wall, which earned a yelp. The raven took the opportunity to slide his tongue into Draco's mouth, and the battle for dominance began.

By the time they separated, the roles were reversed, and Draco was the one pinning Harry to the wall. Draco smirked.

"Did you honestly think I was going to let myself bottom?" He whispered in Harry's ear.

"No, but it was worth a try." Harry growled back breathlessly, tipping his head back against the tiles and exposing his throat.

Draco happily took the opportunity for what it was and pressed open-mouthed kisses to Harry's neck, nipping here and there, lapping at the little red marks that arose. He noticed that the collar was still around Harry's neck, which both annoyed him and aroused him. Harry was his. His, and his alone. Draco kissed him again, grinding their hips together and forcing a moan from Harry's lips.

Draco once more began his descent, skimming his lips over Harry's neck and instead giving the same treatment to the other's clavicle. He kissed and gave attention there before dropping even further to Harry's nipples. Draco did not hesitate, flowing smoothly from one movement to the next. He ran his tongue over one of Harry's nipples slowly, ensuring a reaction.

Indeed, Harry gasped and buried his hands in Draco's wet hair, moaning as Draco latched on and sucked, pinching and twisting the other.

"Draco… Ah! Nng…" Harry couldn't get a coherent sentence out. Draco didn't seem to mind.

Draco left off Harry's chest, sinking onto his knees. The water pounded his head, nearly blinding him. He smirked up at Harry, who was looking down at him and panting. The Gryffindor's fingers were still tangled in Draco's hair, but he found that he really didn't mind. Harry looked like he was about to say something, but Draco took his prick in hand and licked the head before he could get any words out. Any sentence turned into a loud moan.

Draco teased Harry until the raven was writhing beneath him. Just when Harry yelped that he was about to cum, Draco backed off. Harry whined, giving Draco a heartbreaking look. Draco chuckled.

"Not yet, Harry." He whispered. Harry gasped and shivered as Draco trailed his fingertips up his sides.

The blonde turned Harry around abruptly, bending him over slightly while sucking on three of his fingers. With his other hand, he spread Harry's cheeks just a little, enough for him to rub his thumb over the pucker there. Harry moaned. Draco could barely control himself.

When he felt that his fingers were sufficiently lubed up, Draco didn't waste time in sliding in the first finger. He knew Harry was relaxed, and didn't want to give him any warning lest he tense up. Draco felt the raven clench around his finger, and moaned when he thought about how he would soon be seated in that tight heat.

"D-Draco, wha-?"

"Relax, Harry." Draco soothed. "It will hurt less." Harry nodded, and Draco wriggled his finger until he was satisfied that Harry was ready for another.

He eased the second finger in instead of just pushing in, scissoring them carefully. Harry pushed back on his fingers, and Draco didn't waste time with a third. Instead, he lined himself up and bent himself over Harry's back, overlapping him like a second skin.

"This is going to hurt." Draco murmured, kissing the nape of Harry's neck. "And I'm sorry in advance."

And he began to push in.

To his credit, Harry didn't make a sound. Draco went as slowly as he could manage, stopping only when he bottomed out. Then they stood, panting together underneath the still-warm shower spray. Draco had enough sense around his lust-induced haze to tug on Harry's half-hard cock, making him mewl (though he'd probably deny it later).

"Let me know when." Draco needed this. Needed to feel in control of something for once.

Harry pushed back against him after a moment. "When?"

"No need to sound so unsure of yourself, Harry." Draco kissed his shoulders.

He pulled out just a little, and then thrust back in, searching for the point that would make Harry scream for him. As it was, they were both moaning, panting together.

"GAH- Right there! Nggh- Draco!" Harry gasped. Draco smirked. Found it.

Draco thrusted a little harder, picking up on the little cues that Harry gave.

"Faster, please, Draco- I-!" Harry squirmed, trying to match the way his hips bucked to Draco's thrusts.

Draco tugged on Harry's cock again, no longer teasing. He wanted Harry to cum as hard as he could manage.

"C'mon, Harry. Cum for me." He hissed.

With a shout, Harry did just that, his essence spilling over Draco's hand and some getting on the tiles. As soon as Harry's passage tightened unbearably, and Draco bit down on Harry's shoulder to muffle the sound of his pleasure as he emptied himself into Harry.

They rested a few moments, holding each other up after Draco pulled out of Harry. They rested forehead against forehead, breathing each other's air. They took turns at not looking at each other, staring anywhere but the other person though they stood so closely.

Finally, Harry spoke.

"Did we just…?"

"Yeah, I think we did." Draco was still a little breathless.

Their eyes met for the first time since the deed was done, and they shared a laugh. Soon, that was all that could be heard aside from the shower going, the two boys laughing underneath the lukewarm spray.

They got out, Draco shutting off the water as he went. He noticed that Harry had brought a towel for himself, and his clothes were folded next to Draco's. He wondered how he hadn't heard him come in. Once they were both dressed and looked somewhat presentable, they stared at each other again. Harry could tell that they were both expecting the same thing.

But it wasn't happening. Harry wasn't transforming. They realized it at the same time. Harry broke out into a grin.

"So all it took was shagging you to stay human?" He spun in a circle, throwing his hands up to the ceiling.

"Don't sound so pleased, Harry." Draco rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Oh, so I'm Harry now, am I?" Harry purred, suddenly extremely close. Draco blushed. "You know, I quite like your hair without gel. It's cute." He grinned.

Draco's blush became more furious, and he turned his head away, pouting. "I'm not cute. Devilishly handsome."

"Fine then, devilishly handsome." Harry kissed Draco on the lips chastely. It was only a brush, gone before it was ever really there.

"What time is it?" Great way to change the subject, Draco. Wonderful. Absolutely splendid.

"Past curfew." Harry draped his arms around Draco's shoulders, forcing the youngest Malfoy to look at him.

"Then we should have no trouble getting back into the common room, but I have no idea how we're going to get you out." Draco mumbled to himself, putting a hand to his chin in thought. His eyes clouded over as he disappeared inside himself for a moment.

Harry coaxed him back to reality with another kiss, this one more insistent than the last.

"We'll figure it out later. For right now, you need bed." Harry smirked.

"… So do you. And I'm wondering if that necklace makes you into a love machine as well." Draco sighed, shrugging off Harry's arms and heading for the door. Harry followed him, practically skipping.

As they walked down the corridor back to the dungeons, Harry broke out into song, dancing 'round the hallway strumming on an air guitar.

"_Doctor, doctor, I've got an emergency. It seems I'm head over heels, a case of L-O-V-E!_" He sang.

"SHHH, Harry! Shut up! We'll be caught!" Draco jogged to keep up with him, but a silly grin was on his face, too.

"_It's like I'm glowing inside, yeah, a light I can't hide!-_ No we won't." Harry walked backwards, still strumming air guitar.

"What song _is_ that, anyways?" They walked side by side now, Harry still mumbling the words under his breath.

"_And if this feelin' is bad, then I don't wanna be right_.- Muggle music." Harry shrugged, grinning.

Draco sighed, shaking his head, and covertly slipped his hand into Harry's, their fingers intertwining as they walked.

"I think that necklace has done something to your head." He grumbled, hoping that Harry didn't say anything about the holding-hands thing.

"_What I've got in my soul gives me the highest delight. Yeah, it's better than drugs, in fact it's sent from above…_" Harry's voice echoed off the walls as they descended into the Slytherin common room.

* * *

><p>As promised, this chapter is smut. XD Thank you all again for all the support you've given me. ;w; It means a lot, guys.<p>

I think, only to be fair, that there will be a bottom!Draco somewhere in the future of this story. XD

Naturally, this chapter only took so long today because I've been out all day and watching Harry Potter. XD Lawl, win. 8D

One last thing: The song is Family Force 5's "Love Addict".


	10. Company

When Draco woke up, he was aware that it was still dark. The reason for that had an easy answer- the curtains around his bed were closed. Why were they closed? He rose up on one elbow, rubbing the sleep from his eyes with his free hand. Which he had to untangle for some strange reason. Why was the bed so cramped, anyways?

And then he looked down. And he remembered. Draco flopped back down onto his pillow, nuzzling into the warmth that Harry's back provided. Harry was still Harry, and while that was good, it posed a serious problem. They needed to go see Dumbledore to tell him this. Except for the fact that getting Harry Potter out of the Slytherin common room was going to be a bit of a challenge. They could always wait for everyone to be gone to breakfast, but then Dumbledore would be at breakfast, too. There was only so much time they could spend loitering in a hallway until someone noticed.

They didn't have any of Harry's things, least of all his wand. Draco didn't know how to perform a Disillusionment charm, so that was out. They didn't have the time to turn him into someone else with a Polyjuice potion, and Draco's half-asleep brain was running out of ideas.

Oh. Wait. Duh. Why didn't he think of that earlier?

Draco maneuvered so that he was hovering over Harry, who was closest to the rest of the room, twitched the curtain aside just a smidgen. Just enough so that he could peek out. No one else was awake yet. Thankfully. Draco let the curtain fall back into place, and hoped that the silencing charm he'd cast before they went to sleep still held.

"Harry. Harry, wake up." He hissed, shaking the raven's shoulder a little.

Harry stirred, mumbled incoherently, but did not wake up. Draco shook him again, frowning a little.

Finally, Harry's eyes blinked open. It took them a moment, but they finally focused on Draco.

"Draco, what-?"

"Shhh!" Draco hushed, twitching the curtain aside again to make sure their dorm mates were still asleep. "C'mon, we've got to get to Dumbledore."

Harry nodded, everything coming back to him. They eased out of bed together, getting ready as fast and as silently as they could manage. Draco left off gelling his hair, deciding that it would take too much time, time that they couldn't afford. If they weren't careful, some of the others could already be down in the common room by now. Draco dug around in his trunk for a moment before producing a black cloak that would completely conceal Harry's identity.

"Put this on." He hissed. Harry nodded and draped it around his own shoulders, clasping it shut and putting the hood up.

His face now entirely shrouded in shadow, Draco took Harry's hand and began to tug him along. The blonde didn't want to leave anything to chance. They exited the common room, where a few students were. Draco held his breath while they walked, but none of them shouted or found anything odd. If anything, they only got stares because of their joined hands. Draco hurried them down the hall, Harry keeping pace easily. Draco tried to remember the way up to Dumbledore's office, but Harry was the one who actually got them there. And then they were hanging around outside for a few moments while both of them tried to remember what Snape had said to get them in all that long ago.

"Was it 'exploding snap'?" Draco mumbled.

"No, I don't think so." Harry shook his head. "I think it might have been 'yellow umbrella'."

"Well that's about as likely as 'rubber duck'." Draco huffed.

"Yeah, you're probably right about that one. Uh… 'candied apple'?"

"Why in the world would that be it?" Draco was more than skeptical.

"I don't know, it just sounded-" Harry was cut off as a familiar voice came from behind the pair.

"Draco? Who's that you've got with you?" They whirled around as one to see Dumbledore himself striding towards them, a small smile on his face.

"Ah, Headmaster, do you mind if we talk in your office?" Draco asked hesitantly, the politeness foreign to him. It rolled off his tongue easily, though. Draco decided he didn't mind.

"If that is what you prefer." Dumbledore nodded, but something told Harry that the man already knew exactly what had transpired between Draco and himself, and knew exactly who was under Draco's borrowed cloak.

The thought made him blush, and he suddenly wasn't able to meet Dumbledore's eyes.

"Puffskein earmuffs." Dumbledore enunciated, stepping on to the now-moving staircase.

Harry and Draco shared a look.

'_Puffskein earmuffs?' _Draco mouthed as he stepped onto the stair case as well. Did those even exist?

Harry shrugged, stepping on behind him, tugging the cloak so that the edges wouldn't be caught between the stairs and the wall. Although he seriously doubted that it would happen, he'd lived in the muggle world for the majority of his life. The staircase greatly reminded him of muggle escalators, and he'd actually seen one woman get her dress stuck as she was stepping off at the top of one. It had not been pretty.

Dumbledore entered his office, Draco and Harry following somewhat hesitantly. There was a certain amount of awe that entering the Headmaster's study evoked, and even Harry, who had been there at least once a year, could not deny that he felt it.

"Now, what is it you wish to discuss?" Dumbledore turned once he was a sufficient distance inside the room.

"Well, sir… Um…" Draco turned to Harry, unsure as to how to begin.

Harry pulled the hood down on the cloak. He didn't exactly like hiding things from Dumbledore. It had always given him a bad taste in his mouth.

"I appear to be back to normal. Er- permanently." Dumbledore nodded, winking.

"I knew you would be, at some point." He smiled. "So now what do you plan on doing, now that you're human again?"

"… I hadn't thought much about it." Harry answered honestly, somewhat embarrassed by his own answer. "Catch up on school work. Work with the Order more." He shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. "Somehow avoid the _Daily Prophet_."

It had never occurred to Draco that Harry didn't like publicity. As a Malfoy, and therefore part of one of the most influential families in the European Ministry of Magic, publicity came with the family. And he liked it enough, so long as they didn't poke into his personal life. He didn't think of it until now, but being Harry Potter would be worse, in a way. Being Harry Potter would mean that everyone wanted to know everything about you. Where did you go yesterday? What did you eat? What time do you brush your teeth?

He imagined that it had to get extremely old extremely fast. And Harry, being a boy who grew up in a Muggle family, never knowing paparazzi and annoying reporters, was probably even less accustomed to it. Draco blinked, and suddenly saw a Harry in a new light. He looked away, holding his left forearm, right over the Dark Mark now obscured by long sleeves.

Harry was pure. Harry was kind, innocent, handsome, yet unmarred by the Dark Lord for all the meddling Voldemort had done in his life. Not like him. Draco was tainted, spiteful, scarred. He was a Death Eater. A symbol of everything Harry should hate.

Draco knew Harry had seen the mark. But he hadn't said anything about it, so the blonde wasn't about to, either. The longer he could avoid the subject, the better. The longer he could pretend that things were still alright, that he still had some control over what happened to him.

"-raco. Draco!" Draco's head snapped up, and he blinked at Harry.

"Yeah?" He asked stupidly.

"Dumbledore asked you if you minded me still sharing a dorm with you, since it's a little late to be switching back to the Gryffindor common rooms?" Harry was giving him a funny look.

Draco had spaced out much longer than he had intended.

"Oh, yeah. I mean, no, no, it's fine, I don't mind." Draco shook his head. What was he saying? Couldn't he even get a coherent thought out anymore? Or was that still too complicated?

He sighed. He needed a therapist or something. Whatever those Muggle healers were that helped with one's head instead of one's physical injuries.

"Well then. Off you go- I imagine that breakfast still has yet to end. I'm sure your friends will be pleased to see you again, Harry." Dumbledore shooed them off, and the two enjoyed a silent walk to the Great Hall.

On Draco's part, the silence was tense and heavy, but Harry was walking along like he hadn't a care in the world. Draco took a deep breath. It didn't matter if he spiraled down- he just couldn't bring Harry with him. So he'd pretend like nothing was bothering him for now. For now, he would make believe that he was happy and that everything was alright. Because that's what mattered.

Little did he know that Harry had a foreboding feeling erupting in the pit of his stomach, though he couldn't place where exactly it was directed. The moment they entered the Great Hall, Harry was buried under hugs and high-fives and 'where were you's and 'we were worried's. He noticed Draco slip off to the Slytherin table, but couldn't get away for an instant to go and sit next to him.

He was herded to the Gryffindor table, where Ron forced him into a seat with a clap on the back. He was facing Draco, who gave him a flash of a smile across the Great Hall. Harry barely kept eye contact long enough to return it before he was pulled into conversation that he could really care less about.

And there were questions. Questions about the strange collar around his neck and his muggle clothes. Harry did not answer them.

He couldn't tell his housemates that he still belonged to one Draco Malfoy.

* * *

><p>Ohmygod. I am so sorry this is so late. ;.; I was going to upload it sooner, but Henry (my muse) put his cigarette out on my brain. I'd go to the word document and stare at it, as if words were going to magically appear.<p>

I forced this one out of myself, so if it's bad and entirely plotless, I'm sorry. T_T

I am going to attempt to update again soon, but beware that there is a timeskip coming. Quite a large one, if I'm not wrong.


	11. Change

Weeks passed. Harry could barely keep his head from spinning on his shoulders. He was trying to catch up in classes, studying harder than he'd ever thought possible. All of his things had finally been moved from the Burrow to Hogwarts, and he was back in his old dorm in Gryffindor tower. That was not something he was happy about. Because, along with the return to normalcy, there was a mysterious and distinct lack of Draco Malfoy. Whenever Harry had a moment to himself, a second to breathe, his heart would ache.

Was Malfoy avoiding him? It wasn't like Harry went out of his way not to see the blonde- quite the opposite in fact. He'd been breaking curfew every night in hopes of seeing him, but had no luck as of yet. He considered just going to the Slytherin common room and asking to see Draco, but then he remembered that nobody was supposed to know that he was Dante. Which was what people like Hermione would figure out if he went around suddenly knowing where another house's common room was.

Dangerous, that.

He found that he still couldn't take the collar off, no matter how many times he tried, no matter how many ways he attempted. He'd even tried _Bombarda_ on it once. The bruise stayed for a week and a half- he wasn't eager to try it again.

Then Dumbledore had pulled him into this Horcrux business, and Harry's head felt like it was going to burst. He couldn't possibly fit anything else in it! It was great being with his friends again, but if he had known that he would have to give up Draco, Harry was unsure as to whether or not he would have ever considered being human again.

One night, while he was checking the Marauder's Map, two footprints labeled Draco Malfoy walked into a bathroom downstairs.

Harry bolted, leaving his invisibility cloak behind without a second thought. His robes were getting in the way, so he peeled them off as he ran across the common room, tossing them over the back of the couch as he went by. He struggled through the portrait hole, nearly tripping over himself as he did so. And then he was running down the hall as fast as his legs would carry him.

Harry had never been so thankful for Dudley in his life.

He skidded to a stop just outside the bathroom where Draco was, putting his ear to the door as force of habit before walking hesitantly inside.

Now that he was here, he had no idea what he was going to say. It had been so long… Draco was probably pissed.

Just the opposite in fact. Harry walked in to the sound of strangled sobbing. He stood there, watching Draco cry as he braced himself against the sink. He felt frozen. He'd never heard Draco cry like that… What could he do? Then Draco looked up, and caught sight of him in the mirror. Harry stiffened, watching emotions flash across the blonde's face in the moonlight.

"Harry." Draco whispered, his voice wrecked. His head dropped back down, and he continued crying. Like he didn't even care that Harry was seeing him like this.

Harry couldn't help himself. Even if Draco was pissed, he couldn't stop himself from stepping forward. He grabbed Draco's shoulders gently, turning him around and pulling him into a hug.

"It's okay to cry, Draco." He whispered, though he had no idea what Draco was crying about. It could have been one of any number of things.

Draco proceeded to sob into Harry's shoulder, clinging to him desperately. Harry rubbed his back, feeling strange having to comfort him. He wasn't used to comforting people. He mumbled nonsense into Draco's ear, hushing him and trying to calm him down. Draco didn't sob wildly, like Harry had seen others do. He didn't shake much, or really move at all. Tears just rolled down his face, and his breaths were loud and uneven.

Harry had to decide that even crying, Draco was beautiful.

By the time Draco's crying had stopped, the two were on the floor, Draco still curled in to Harry, and Harry just holding on.

"Why are you crying, Draco?" Harry asked quietly.

For all the yelling they'd done at each other ages ago, whenever they spoke now it was quiet. Like it was a spell that would break at any moment whenever they had a civil conversation.

"You won't like it." Draco's voice was surprisingly steady. "You'll hate me. Can't tell you."

"I could never hate you, Draco. Not now." Harry reassured. "Tell me."

"…" Draco sighed. "Spostkilldmbldr." He mumbled.

"What?" Harry could barely understand that, let alone make sense of it.

"I'm. Supposed. To kill. Dumbledore." Draco's voice never wavered, as though he'd accepted the fact that this moment would come long ago.

Harry's heart nearly stopped. Draco? Kill Dumbledore? Why? What on earth would possess him to- Oh. Voldemort, duh. He was surprised at his own thick-headedness at times. His mind instantly began working. There had to be a way around this.

"There isn't. I've got to do this, don't you see?" Draco pleaded. It took Harry a moment to realize that he'd said that last part out loud.

"But if we tell Dumbledore, then surely he'll be able to come up with something." Draco shook his head, trying to get out of Harry's constricting arms.

"Can't. I've got to do this. The Dark Lord said that all my families' mishaps will be forgiven. Even if it's a lie, what other choices do I have?" Draco gave up trying to get away from Harry, slumping against his chest. He wasn't looking Harry in the face, either.

"You have this choice." Harry took Draco's cheeks in his hands, making Draco look at him. "You have me. You have Dumbledore. We can figure something out, where no one has to die. Not even your family."

Draco worried his lip, searching Harry's eyes for something. There was silence for what felt like forever. At last, Draco nodded. Harry half-smiled at him, leaning in and kissing him softly. When they separated, Draco dragged him in for another. And another. Harry began to chuckle at Draco's insatiable need. Draco finally pushed him backwards, straddling him and kissing the life out of him.

Harry managed to get Draco to leave off for a minute so that he could get his breath back.

"Bastard. You have no idea how long I waited for you to just freakin' kiss me." Draco growled. "I am not about to stop now."

"I couldn't _find_ you to snog you, Draco." Harry mock-complained.

"Shut up and snog me, then."

So Harry did.

oooOOOooo

The next day, Harry and Draco were spending time together in the courtyard. Both Gryffindors and Slytherins had a free period, and there were some people from both houses lingering around, watching the two carefully. They pretended not to notice, instead continuing with conversation as normal. Draco sat at the base of a tree that was planted there, while Harry busied himself with climbing to the top.

"If you fall and break your neck, don't say I didn't warn you." Draco called idly, flipping a page in the book he was reading.

"I won't fall." Harry hooked his knees over a branch and let himself hang upside down, stretching down as far as he could, fingers reaching.

No, he needed to be lower. So he straightened up and slipped to a branch farther down.

"That has yet to be seen." Draco glanced up at him, eyebrow raised, eyes sparkling with amusement.

Draco's mood had at last taken a turn for the better, now that he had something solid to cling to. He no longer felt like he was dangling off the edge of a cliff, hanging on only by his fingernails. He absentmindedly turned a page in his book while he thought, not really paying attention to the words on the page. He may not have been paying attention to the book, but he did notice when it was yanked from his hands.

Draco looked up, glaring at Harry. The raven was having a ball, lounging in the tree branches, Draco's book in his hands. He'd obviously just hung upside down to get it from the blonde, and Draco had to wonder how he didn't notice.

"Give that back, Potter!" Draco snarled, standing up and reaching for it.

"You'll have to catch me, _Malfoy_." Harry taunted, climbing higher.

Draco scowled. He wasn't going to climb the tree just to get a damn book. Malfoys didn't climb trees. But the way Harry was looking at him, just daring him to try…

He would have started climbing, if not for the exclamation of surprise that came from above him. Draco looked up just in time to catch whatever fell.

Which turned out to be a very fluffy black cat, who looked properly ashamed when it looked up at him. A moment later, Draco's book, which had caught on a branch on the way down, fell right on top of Harry's head, obscuring him from view.

"…That's what you get for stealing my book." Draco growled, hoping no one had seen. It didn't appear so, as he wasn't hearing any whispers or hissing behind his back, so he thought it was okay.

Harry, or Dante, rather, grinned at him. Well, grinned as much as a cat could.

"I suppose we now have two things to tell Dumbledore." Draco sighed, shaking his head. Dante meowed.

* * *

><p>Hey guys!<p>

The next update may be a little late, as I'll be working on a chapter for another story and I just can't multitask in different fandoms, but I hope that you will all be patient with me in awaiting the next chapter. 8D As always, I appreciate all of your support and wonderful comments. 8D Thank you all from the middle of my heart! X3

Ta ta for now~


	12. Conclusion

Very soon, Draco and Harry found themselves in Dumbledore's office with Professor McGonagal standing beside the Headmaster, Harry in Draco's arms purring contentedly. They were talking about animagi, and whether or not a necklace could have somewhat the same magic as one. Specifically, this necklace.

"So how do we turn him back? All I thought I had to do was accept him and then he'd be human. I've done that. So… Why…?" Draco could barely finish his sentence. Now that the moment was past, he was becoming very confused very quickly.

"In animagi, it is the person's choice to transform themselves. Obviously it's different here, but what exactly were you and Mr. Potter doing at the time of his most recent transformation?" Just as McGonagal spoke, Draco stumbled backwards and dropped Harry.

The reason being he was becoming _Harry_ again. And trying to hold a transforming cat-person was extremely difficult. All the twisting and writhing that this transformation brought was unlike the previous one, and Draco had been afraid for a moment that he would inadvertently hurt Harry.

Soon enough, there Harry stood, ruffled but otherwise unharmed. He smoothed down his robes in the moment that everyone was silent.

"How… How did you do that?" Draco asked, now more confused than he had been.

"Well… In the tree… In the tree, I just really wanted some extra balance. I wanted it really badly, and I transformed. I lost what balance I had."

"And just now?" McGonagal raised an eyebrow.

"I… wanted to stand. Really badly." Harry seemed to understand the weight of what he'd just done. "But… I want to stay human. Am I an animagi now or something?"

"No, Potter, but as long as you wear that necklace, I fear you will be." McGonagal sighed.

oooOOOooo

Later that day found Draco and Harry in a broom cupboard in a little traveled part of the fourth floor, hands tangled in each other's hair, lips locked in a furious fight for dominance. While Harry was distracted, Draco hooked his fingers underneath the necklace and let them rest there for a moment, waiting for Harry to get used to the touch there enough to ignore it before he slipped the necklace over Harry's head like it had forever been loose enough to do so.

Of course, Harry noticed this. At this point, he'd notice anything that separated their lips. Draco dangled the snake before Harry's face on one finger, satisfied smirk perched on his lips.

"Why- How- How did you-?" Harry's eyes widened. It was just one surprise after another, wasn't it?

"Well, I could do everything else with it. Change it, at least. So I figured, why shouldn't I be able to take it off?" Draco's smirk turned into a triumphant grin.

Harry laughed out loud, using one hand to push Draco's hand away, back to the boy's side. Their lips sealed briefly together, Harry too happy to make it a real kiss.

"You have my eternal thanks. I've been worrying about the most inopportune moments I might turn into a member of the feline family." He chuckled.

"Well then, how will you possibly show me your gratitude?" Draco asked flirtatiously, flicking his head back to get white-blonde hair out of his eyes.

"Mmmn, I'm sure we can think of some way if we put our heads together." Harry leaned in and kissed Draco again, backing him completely against the shelf behind him. It wasn't a hard kiss, like the previous few had been. But slow, and sweet, and addictive.

The necklace dropped from Draco's limp fingers to the floor with a slight jingle. Neither stopped to pick it up, nor even seemed to notice that it had fallen. So they also didn't notice when it transformed back into the shape Harry had first found it in.

Harry moved his leg in between Draco's knees. The faint light that the crack in the door provided made the amethyst glitter prettily where it lay innocently on the floor. As though it hadn't just caused all that trouble.

oooOOOooo

Several Months Later, after the Final Battle.

oooOOOooo

Harry sat leaning against a tree by the Black Lake, flipping a page in the book he was reading every once in a while, his eyes lazily skimming the text. Hermione sat on the opposite side of the tree, furiously making notes on a piece of parchment, her open book the hard surface to write on and her drawn up knees as her desk. Ron lay stretched out a few feet away from the both of them, hands behind his head and his eyes on the clouds. It wasn't too hot, as far as the days that began summer went.

As the three had gone off to fight Voldemort, all three had been required to return to Hogwarts and complete their education. The castle was still in disrepair in a few places, though that was quickly being mended. There were a few other students who had to stay as well, either having not received proper education under Snape's headmastership or their parents had whisked them away at the first whisper of Death Eater activity in Hogwarts.

Currently, the Golden Trio was studying for their N.E.W.T.S. Or, one of them was studying. Harry wasn't so much studying as pretending to do so, and Ron was… Well, Ron was Ron.

The crunching of grass alerted the trio of approaching footsteps. Hermione glanced up and nodded at the newcomer, who nodded back (if a little stiffly). Ron only gave him a calculating once-over, and apparently giving his approval, went back to staring at the clouds above. Harry didn't even look up.

Draco plopped down beside the raven, a deep sigh leaving him as he did so. He carried a book under his arm, a quill tucked up behind his ear, and a roll of parchment in his hand. Shuffled so that he was slouching and half-sitting on Harry, the back of his head to Harry's chest, his back to Harry's side and hip, one outstretched leg thrown over Harry's outstretched own.

It probably looked uncomfortable- painful even- but all Harry did was shift to accommodate the other and settled back into reading his book. Draco simply opened his, unrolled his parchment (which, Harry noted, did have the beginnings of an introduction on it) and began to write with his self-inking quill.

The four were silent for a while. It had taken quite a bit for Hermione and Ron to accept that Harry and Draco were together, and that Harry wasn't going through a phase, or just messing around with Malfoy as a joke, or going to let it go at all. But once they had, Hermione and Draco had been able to be downright friendly with each other, though Ron was only able to have a civil conversation and be reasonably polite. Harry was hoping that with just a little more time, that could improve as well.

"Slughorn's adding another roll of parchment to the essay." Draco announced in a lazy, somewhat exasperated drawl. "I'm getting sick of all his amending the assignment- he's done it five times already, which has made me rewrite the entire essay twice as many times."

Hermione groaned. "But I've already got my thesis all planned out! He can't change it _now_." She gasped, and Harry heard much shuffling of papers, though all he did was turn a page in his book.

"You might as well go and tell him that, Granger. He looked very determined to put good students like us behind." Draco sighed, adding some punctuation to his essay with a rather aggravated flourish.

Harry reached over and stilled his hand, carefully slipping the quill out of it and holding it carefully out of Draco's reach, finally taking his eyes away from his book to instead look out across the lake. He could still hear Hermione panicking, though he could not, of course, see her.

"I'm sure he means well, Hermione. He wants his students to do their best, and in order to do that, he's got to give them the hardest assignment." He smiled at Draco, who just scowled and made a grab for his quill, which Harry in turn held higher over his head.

"Easy for _you_ to say. _You_ haven't even _started_ your essay, now have you?" Ron asked, grinning like he had Harry caught.

"Neither have you." Harry scoffed, finally handing Draco back his quill.

The four continued their light-hearted bickering, while back in the castle in a little-traveled corridor of the fourth floor, a second year opened a broom cupboard and noticed something purple glittering on the floor…

* * *

><p>This is the end of The Cat's Meow.<p>

I want to thank each and every one of you who followed from the first day I posted it, up until it's end. This chapter would have been posted yesterday, but I was having internet issues, and some personal problems cropped up. Nonetheless! To everyone who reviewed and took the time to so much as glance at this story, I want to thank you. You guys... I can't express how much love I feel. Honestly. And thank you for your patience this past week or so. I really appreciate that.

I probably will upload more Drarry and such, so no worries about that. XD

Thank you all again. We'll meet again~

Pad~


End file.
